The Third Epic: Second Arch
by LordCavendish
Summary: Riku and Sora continue their quest to track down the Cavendish Shinobis and gain the necessary information to help find Kairi. However, this time, the battle is uphill. The three remaining Shinobis are the top of the seven. Considered to be the greatest n
1. Default Chapter

Imperials in HalloweenTown

It wasn't long before the team made it to Halloween Town. The town was as before, a sight to be seen. The streets were dark and teaming with local ghosts, ghouls, goblins, and monstrosities of all types. However, the atmosphere seemed different, in a way threatening. Sora and his friends didn't bother to disguise themselves as monsters. Instead, they each wore dark capes, cloaks, and overcoats, placing a mask upon their face. Sora, wearing a half mask like the phantom of the opera, gazed around. Halloween Town had become a different atmosphere. Before, when they first came to Halloween Town, though dark and sinister, there was no danger that put them on the edge. But now there was a great fear that lingered in the town.

Sora and his friends walked about the Guillotine Square and saw a definite transformation. Upon every building, along every street and alley, the banners displaying the symbol of the Dark Empire hung about waving like grand banners in the calm wind.

"The Empire." Sora uttered. "Their the ones responsible for this."

"They really placed a mark on this world didn't they." added Riku. "No wonder there's isn't anyone about."

"And this time, the atmosphere seems threatening."-

It was at that moment that they heard a whisper beckoning them.

"Psst!" said the voice. "Over here, Sora!" Sora looked behind him to see his old friend, Jack Skellington beckoning him from behind a stone wall.

"Hey Jack!" said Sora, softly. "What's going on?"

"I'll explain it back at Dr. Finklestein's laboratory."-

Jack led the party to the large, ominous structure and entered its massive iron door. There, Dr. Finklestein, Sally, and the Mayor dwelled.

"Look who I brought to visit." said Jack. Sora and the KH team walked in.

"Well, well," Sally said, "it's been a long time hasn't it, Sora."

"Good to see that you and your friends are alive and kicking still." Dr. Finklestein added.

"What's going on here?" asked Sora. "Why isn't anyone about in the town?"

"Well, since the Dark Empire arrived," Jack explained, "Things haven't been the same. They ordered that we remain in our homes and not come out unless told otherwise. For some time now, I think at least three weeks, the Dark Empire has been wondering about in our town, carrying these giant contraptions to where Oogie Boogie Manner used to stand."

"Uh-oh!" said Mickey.

"That's bad then." Donald added.

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking, Riku?" asked Sora.

"I know exactly what you're thinking." Riku replied. "The Empire is on the verge of completing their destructive weapon, the Apocalypse Cannon. With that weapon, they could easily spread fear and pandemonium to every dimensional realm."

"What's the Apocalypse Cannon?" asked Jack.

"The Apocalypse Cannon is a weapon that accumulates a great amount of energy that's capable of wiping out an entire galactic system. With one blast, thousands of planets and billions, perhaps trillions upon trillions of people and other living things would be wiped from existence in an instant. Total annihilation and complete genocide."-

"With a weapon of mass destruction like that, it wouldn't take a week's period for the Empire to do away with the Universal Alliance and gain political control." Sora added. "No one would be safe to hide from the forces of the Empire."

"What do we do then?" asked Sally. "We can't let something like that take over other worlds."

"That's what we're planning to do." Riku explained. "You said that they were constructing the cannon at the old sight of Oogie Boogie Manner right?"

"That's right." Jack replied.

"Well, then all we have to do is get there and destroy it."-

"Easier said than done." The Mayor interrupted.

"Why's that?" asked Sora.

"Three reasons. One, there are Imperial troops guarding the road to Oogie Boogie Manner around the clock. Therefore, trying to smuggle in is out of the question and nearly impossible. Two, patrol parties of the Dark Empire march up and down these streets, looking for any suspicious people. And finally, Halloween Town has been put under Marshall Law. We have to abide by a certain curfew and return to our homes, or we will be executed without hesitation."-

"That's right." Jack added. "You arrived just before the curfew. Had it been any later, those Imperial troops would have been on you like a bad itch."

"Then, we'll just have to find a way to break through and get to the cannon." Riku explained. "Do you think you can somehow get two Imperial uniforms?"

"I can do that." said Sally. "They always send their laundry to me when they need washing."

"Excellent. Goofy, Jack, I'll need your assistance too."-

"Gotcha, Riku!" said Goofy.

"Understood." Jack added.

"You have a plan I guess." said Sora. "You need us too?"

"You're the most important, Sora." Riku explained.

"I am?"-

"You'll play the victim."-

"What do you mean the victim?"-

"The one we captured. What I plan to do is penetrate through the Imperial defenses and take them out from within."-

"Great plan." Mickey said.

"I have to agree." Donald added. "I'm surprised I didn't think of that myself."

"Alright," Riku said, "let's do this."

"Victim?" Sora reiterated.

Upon reaching the defensive position of the Empire, Riku, Jack, Goofy, and Sora deployed their strategy. Riku covered himself with a long black cloak. Jack and Goofy, dressed as Imperials while Sora, acting as the captured individual, dragged along with a black bag over his head. At the same time, Mickey and Donald watch from afar ready to attack as soon as the signal was given. The four reached the defensive line where an Imperial sentry stood vigilant. The sentry stepped before the party, prohibiting further entry.

"Halt!" he said.

"We're of the 5th Cetorburg volunteers." Riku uttered, faking an aristocratic type accent. "We've caught a spy who has been leaking out information to the Alliance regarding the Apocalypse Cannon."

"Do you have the necessary papers?"-

"Right here." Riku handed forged documents to the Imperial sentry. As the sentry examined the authenticity of the documents, Riku decided to play with his psychology a little. "Fancy this situation! How could you let spies like this penetrate your lines?"

"Sir?"-

"How secure is this outer perimeter line?"-

"It should be…"-

"Not very from my perspective! If you're stupid enough to let a spy get through the lines, then I must curse the Empire for hiring such incompetent soldiers!"-

"Now listen here…" said the sentry.

"Where are my papers! I'm in a hurry!"-

"Here then!" the infuriated sentry shouted, shoving the documents back to Riku. "I'll have you reported for insubordination! Out of my way, peasant!"-

The sentry stomped off to the side. Riku then turned around and shouted out.

"You better make sure no one gets through!" he cried.

"That's the signal." Mickey uttered.

"Five minute interval has begun." Donald added. "After five minutes, that's when we attack."

Upon reaching a safe distance between the lines, Goofy and Jack let Sora go and Sora took the back off his head. He shook his head, causing his hair to take its original shape.

"We're safe now."-

"That's the last time I play the victim." Sora protested. "What were you trying to do, Riku? Suffocate me?"

"We had to put the bag over your head. That way the Imperials wouldn't want to inspect your identity. At least with the bag on your head, they knew better than to try and look at you."-

"Sure you did."-

"I thought you put on one heck of a performance." Goofy uttered.

"Enough talking." Jack uttered. "There's where Oogie Boogie Manner used to be." The four snuck to the cliff side where they could observe the construction of the cannon. Before them, they saw a massive construction sight. And there, surrounded by a circle of lights, was the cannon.

"That must be it." said Sora.

"That's the Apocalypse Cannon?" Jack questioned. "You said it was powerful enough to destroy a galaxy, but that's no bigger than guns used on a battleship."

"Believe me," Riku explained, "that thing may be small, but it packs an awful lot of power. If I were to have seen that before our journey, I probably would have said the same thing. But after what I saw, I realized that nothing is impossible."

"Let's start working our way down there." Sora uttered.

Suddenly, there was a loud roar from above. The party looked up to see three large cruisers appear from the sky. They hovered down on three grand platforms which were situation not too far from the main platform where the Apocalypse Cannon sat. The KH team observed three individuals walking towards the cruisers. The three men were well dressed in uniforms of grey and red.

"I wonder who those three guys are?" asked Sora.

"I don't know." Riku replied. "But they must be the guys in charge of this operation."

From the opening cruiser doors, a familiar face appeared, walking towards the three.

"General Kai!" Sora said.

"What's he doing here?" Riku added. "He must be here to oversee the progression of the Apocalypse Cannon."

"Hey, this'll be a perfect opportunity for us, Riku."-

"What do you mean, Sora?"-

"We can take out General Kai and get the information of Arakis's and Kairi's whereabouts!"-

"I know what you mean, Sora. But right now, we have to take out that cannon, first."-

"But we can't do that with all those fellers down there, guarding the thing." Goofy uttered.

"That's where Donald and Mickey come in. They should be leading the charge anytime now."-

At the same time, amongst the Imperials lines, General Kai met with the three Gatler Generals.

"Generals King, Triiken, and Durovano I presume?" said Kai.

"General Kai, Sir." Durovano replied. "You honor us with your presence, being the leader of the Cavendish Shinobis. His Excellency, Lord Arakis has told me that you were arriving to oversee production of our new Apocalypse Cannon."

"That's correct. And how is the progress on our new weapon doing?"-

"Would you care to see, Sir?" Durovano accompanied Kai to where the cannon sat. There it was, gazing into the sky like a vigilant idle. "We've already managed to upgrade the energy capacity so it would have twice the effect expected by its creators. Think of it, with this new weapon we'd be able to bring the Alliance down to its knees within a week, or so. And we would be able to take over all dimensional realms within a month."

"It would certainly make our efforts easier."-

"And you would no longer have to send in a team to plant a Galactic Killer! All we have to do is power up this greatest of weapons and annihilate an entire galaxy from a nice, safe distance."-

"This weapon is definitely an achievement, but that also acts as a disadvantage. With such a powerful weapon, we warriors would not be able to test our strengths against the countless numbers of worthy opponents out there."-

"That is the one disadvantage to having such a powerful weapon." General Triiken explained. "It makes soldiers and warriors obsolete."

"That is the one reason why I detest the sight of this contraption!" Durovano added. "I will no longer taste battle. My men will become fat and useless like cattle meant only for the slaughter house. That is not the way I wanted my career as a general to end, to end up at a desk job filing papers."

"I understand that General Ameba is rather excited about seeing this weapon completed." said General King.

"What do you expect from a weakling like him?" Triiken replied. "He's of no more use to us on the battlefield than a corpse."

"He certainly talks big, but his power is ridiculously small. I wonder how a man as weak as Ameba ever gained the position as General."-

"Well, his record of success is unrivaled."-

"That's no excuse why he should walk and talk as if he were one of the Immortals!"-

"That's the one reason why he always wants these radical ideas of no-quarter." Kai explained. "He's afraid of losing his own life as well as his position. If he had his way, he'd annihilate the enemy and their civilization entirely. But what's the point of trying to conquer the universe if we plan on destroying it because a handful of peasants decided to rebel?"

"General Ameba is such a paranoid individual." Durovano added. "He'd chain his own shadow to keep it from following him."

Suddenly, the alarms began to bellow throughout the compound. Soldiers were suddenly seen running towards the outer perimeter defenses.

"What is going on!"" shouted General Kai.

"We're being attacked!" one of the passing soldier replied.

"By who!"-

"The KH team! The KH team is here!"-

"That's impossible! Reports said they were on their way to Traverse Town! Someone must've told them about our activities here!"-

"So that Sora brat is here!" asked General King.

"It seems that way!" Durovano replied. "Let's get him!"

"Wait!" shouted Kai. "We can't leave the Apocalypse Cannon unguarded! General King! General Triiken! You two stay here and protect this cannon!"

"Sir!" the two replied. With that, General Kai and General Durovano went off to where the disturbance was taking place, leaving Triiken and King to stand vigilant over the Apocalypse Cannon.

Sora, Riku, and others saw the panic and knew what had happened.

"Donald and Mickey must've done it." said Sora. "Excellent."

"Don't rush in though." Riku explained. "We might have been able to divert most of the Imperials, but there are still several troops and two generals on guard. And I don't know about you, but those guys don't seem to be big pushovers." Riku huddled the four together. "Here's what we'll do. Sora and I will catch the attention of the Imperials while Jack and Goofy overload that cannon pass its limited capacity and blow it up."

"Right!" the three responded. They all slapped hands together and began their run. Riku and Sora drew their swords and jumped off the cliff, yelling their lungs out.

General King and Triiken gazed up to see the two key bearers descending upon them.

"It's them!" shouted King.

"Good!" added Triiken. "We could use a challenge!"

The two generals drew their swords as Riku and Sora landed upon the platform and began fighting off the Imperial troops, one at a time. The Imperials were 3rd class swordsmen. So their fighting abilities were either equal to, or less than the key bearers'.

"Come on! We can take you all on!" shouted Riku.

"Worthy opponents!" added Sora. "Come at me!"

The Imperials fought with all they had, but were no match for Riku and Sora. Slash and thrust, they defeated the Imperials who dared to attack. Many of them were maimed to the point where they could no longer fight.

"We have killed before!" Riku said. "So we won't inflict massacre on your forces!"

"They are quite humane and quite chivalrous." General King uttered.

"Then, let us show chivalry of the Empire as well." Triiken added. "We too shall not all be seen as only bloodthirsty and savage."

At the same time, Goofy and Jack managed to swoop down to the cannon platform without being seen. They snuck up to the cannon and looked at the control panel.

"I wonder how you overload this thing?" asked Goofy.

"The limit capacity is being upgraded to take on 75 of the cannon's full energy." Jack replied. "Well..," he turned off the upgrade program and increased power levels to full, "not any more."

"That was easier than I thought."-

The two scampered away leaving the new cannon to overload beyond its tolerance.

At the same time, Mickey and Donald harassed the outer perimeter, jumping from one tombstone to another, firing magic spells at the Imperial line.

"I really hope that Sora and Riku managed to sabotage that cannon." Mickey said.

"I hope so!" added Donald. "We only have five vials of Ether left."

"Donald! Look!"-

The two peeked over the tombstones to see General Kai and General Durovano land at the line. They led the Imperials out of the barracks and began their advance.

"Uh-oh! This isn't good." Donald uttered.

"We won't be able to take all those guys on by ourselves." Mickey stated. "But still we have to try! We need to give Riku and Sora as much time needed!" The two rolled over behind the same tombstone. "Are you ready, Donald!"

"Yeah!" The two slapped hands together and clutched tightly. Then, will a blood curdling scream, they jumped out from behind the tomb stone and attacked the Imperials head on. They rammed themselves into the bulk of the attacking Imperials and took down as many as they could. Many of them wounded limped off the battlefield to rest.

"Don't be afraid to fight them!" General Kai ordered. "There's only two of them!"

"Don't tell me you're afraid of a mouse king and a loud-mouth water fowl!" Durovano added.

The Imperials eventually surrounded Mickey and Donald, their sabers and blasters at the ready. Mickey and Donald came back to back, protecting themselves from all sides.

"Um, this is bad." Donald uttered.

"We can't give up now." Mickey whispered.

"And what do you propose we do!"-

At the same time, Riku and Sora were facing their own difficulties. They had underestimated the number of Imperials present, as they seemed to somehow pop out of the woodwork. The two eventually found themselves surrounded by ranks of Imperial troops.

"This isn't good." said Sora.

"You think!" Riku replied. The Imperials slowly closed in and Riku and Sora tightly pressed back to back with each other.

"This is definitely a tough spot." Sora uttered.

"Hopefully, Jack and Goofy managed to fulfill their mission."-

"Riku. In case we don't get out of here alive. I just want to tell you that you and Kairi were the best friends I ever…"-

"Shut up, Sora! We can't just kick the bucket right now! We still have a friend to rescue!"-

"Well excuse me for being sensitive!"-

"I told you to stuff it!"

"Well Gentlemen." said General Triiken. "It seems that you've met the end of your road." He worked his way forward, presenting himself before the two key bearers. "I must say that you have definitely gone so far and achieved so much in such little time and for ones as young as yourselves. And that, will commend you handsomely. However, I will not allow you to tarnish the reputation of the Empire for its might any further. You have a cause and so do we. The only way to determine which cause will rise on top depends upon the strength of those who fight for it. Superior numbers have proven the outcome off this fight. So, I hope you have last words to utter, my friends because your execution has been decided. Kill them."

The Imperials began to edge closer to the two young fighters. Riku and Sora pressed their backs together even more.

"Sora." Riku uttered. "Do you still feel sentimental right now?"

"Why?" Sora asked.

"Because you and Kairi were the best friends I ever had too."-

"Thanks."-

The two braced themselves as the forest of swords came closer.

Just then, two voices scream out from above. The Imperials looked up to see Goofy and Jack coming to the rescue.

"Here we come to save the day!" the two sang out. "Jack and Goofy on the way!"

The two came flying into the Imperial ranks and broke the ring that surrounded the two key bearers.

"What took you guys so long?" asked Riku.

"You know how we like to make a heroic entrance." Jack explained.

"Well better late than never." Sora replied. "Now that we're reinforced, let's break these Imperials up!"

"Yeah!" they all cried and continued their fight.

At the same time, Mickey and Donald were completely surrounded by the Imperial troops. General Kai and General Durovano edged their way to the mouse and duck.

"Well, it seems your little attempt to break through our forces proved futile." He uttered.

"That may be so," Mickey uttered, "but we at least served our purpose."

"Tell me, your majesty. Where are the two key bearers and that dippy dog you were with? Don't tell me that they decided to frolic on their own."-

Mickey saw that General Kai wasn't aware of where the others were, so he decided to make up a tall tale to stall Kai as well as their own execution.

"Riku! Sora! Come and get them!" Mickey acted out. There was silence around them, nothing stirred about the mist of the graveyard. "Oh no! Where are they!"

"Your Majesty!" Donald explained. "Aren't Riku and Sora demolishing the Apoca…?" Mickey stepped on his webbed feet.

"Shush!" Mickey began talking in Pig Latin. "Icksna! Ethya on'tda know where ikuRa and oraSa are!"

"Oh!" Donald realized what was going on. "Yeah! Yeah! Uh…Riku and Sora should have been here to back us up!"

"Do you idiots take me for a fool!" Kai chuckled. "I know that Riku and Sora are attempting to destroy the Apocalypse Cannon and you are only playing the diversion! That's why I took the liberty of leaving two of the Gatler Generals behind to guard the cannon. They should be more than a match for your friends."

"You mean you knew?"-

"For one thing, Riku and Sora would never put you in such a dangerous position for an attempted ambush! And you two are too smart to attack such a well fortified defense head on, knowing the risk that you take. As we speak, your friends have already lost and their attempt to destroy the cannon was in vain. There's no way they could have won to General King, General Triiken, and a thousand well trained Imperial troops." General Kai turned his back on the two. "Now you can join your friends in the after life. Kill them both."

The Imperials set their blasters and aimed at Mickey and Donald. Just then, from out of the darkness, a figure appeared.

"I can't allow you to have your way!" said the figure.

"Who's there!" shouted Durovano. "Show yourself!"

From out of the mist, a dark figure appeared, silhouetted by the mist. Long feelers were mounted atop his head. This head dress was all to familiar to Durovano.

"Is that who I think it is!" he uttered.

"It's Lu Bu! Lu Bu's here!" shouted one of the soldiers.

"What!" Kai burst out. He looked to see Lu Bu standing behind them.

"I can't allow you to kill Riku, or his friends." said Lu Bu. "I have an old score to settle with the KH party, especially Riku. And I won't allow anyone to interfere!"

"You dare to stand against us, Lu Bu?"-

"Does that disturb you!"-

"You know what the Empire does to traitors!"-

"I know very well, but I could care less! As far as they know, I died back in the 'Treasure Realm.' Now I stand here fighting against you!"-

"So what they said about you was true! You only care about the side of strength! Well, I'll make sure then to let you live with this mark of betrayal that you cast upon yourself! I can't let you have your way!" General Kai took out his iron tusk mounted on his back, behind his cape. "I warn you that you don't stand a chance against me, Lu Bu!"-

"Then this fight could be interesting."-

"Let us begin! I shall be the one to show you the path to the spirit world!"-

But before they could begin their battle, a strange energy signal began to rise and General Kai immediately knew what it was he sensed.

"Oh no!" he thought to himself. "The Apocalypse Cannon! It's overloading beyond its limit!" He began to fly back to where the cannon stood.

"What's the matter!" Lu Bu mocked. "Do I scare you!"

"I have no time for maggots! I have higher matters to attend to!"-

"General!" shouted Durovano. "Where are you going!"-

"Sora and Riku have somehow managed to sabotage the cannon! I have to deactivate it!"-

"How do you know!"-

"Idiot! You can't sense power levels, but I can! And this impeding danger is as bright as day! General Durovano, stay here and fight off those three! I have a couple of key bearers to deal with right now!" With that, General Kai flew back to the cannon sight. Durovano turned to his men.

"Well, you heard what he said!" he ordered. "Kill all three of them!"

"Yes sir!" the soldiers replied. They surrounded Lu Bu, but the mighty warrior only smirked.

"Just because I'm surrounded doesn't mean that you'll win!"-

"You're outnumbered Lu Bu!" said Durovano. "You can't possibly defend yourself from all sides! Attack him!" The Imperial troops launched themselves against Lu Bu.

"Pitiful insects!" said Lu Bu, crouching down. "You will all perish!"

Lu Bu released his powerful foot stomp and blew all his attackers away. He then attacked without warning and killed several of the men while they were still in mid-air.

"Impossible!" Durovano uttered. "How could he do that!

"That's right!" Lu Bu chuckled. "You've never actually seen me fight! Well, here's your first taste of fear!"

"You don't frighten me!" Durovano drew his sword and attacked the giant, but Lu Bu was ready to take his blows head on. The two clashed together with incredible force. The grappling they engaged in was unrivaled by anything that anyone there present had ever seen.

"Will you look at that?" Mickey said, while fighting off more Imperials. "Have you seen anything like that before?"

"Lu Bu's a lot stronger than before." Donald added. "Too strong if you ask me."

At the same time, Riku and Sora went hand to hand with General Triiken and General King, clashing steel against steel. All four were so evenly matched, some of the Imperial troops believed that their skills were virtually unrivaled by anyone. Their sword play looked as if they had been rehearsed like a dance because each hit and each swing was a graceful and as strong as the last.

"I can't believe it." Triiken thought. "How could these boys be so evenly matched with us, the great Gatler Generals?"

"It's as if they can predict every one of our moves." Riku thought to himself.

"You're more skilled than I gave you credit for." King uttered, fighting against Sora.

"I'm just as surprised." Sora added. "You are truly a worthy opponent."

"We could use a power like yours for the Empire."-

"Sorry, but that's not an option. I'm fighting against you and that's all there is to it."-

"Then, despite not wanting to kill you so eagerly, I have no choice but to do away with you. I hope you won't take it personally."-

"I don't intend on dying today when there's a friend out their, whom I still need to save."-

At the same time, Jack and Goofy were fighting off the bulk of Imperial troops who descended upon them like locusts.

"There're too many of them!" cried Goofy.

"We have to keep fighting!" Jack replied. "We didn't come all this way just to croak from these fellas!"

Suddenly, there was a bright flash of light. The fighting stopped momentarily as the Imperials and the KH team looked to see where the light bellowed from. From the platform, they saw the Apocalypse Cannon combust inward and outward, cracks beginning to break through on it's surface, with beams of light spilling out.

"The cannon!" cried General King. "The cannon's about to explode!"

"For your lives," Triiken added, "flee away from here! Flee away! Withdraw! Withdraw!"

"I hate to admit it," Sora shouted, "but he has a good point!"

"Then let's get out of here!" cried Riku.

"Time to go." Goofy uttered.

The KH team and the Imperials wasted no time, dropped their guards, and fled from the sight. At the same time, General Kai worked his way back to the sight, only to see all the Imperials retreating.

"I've come too late." He said to himself. "Blast that Sora." A smirk suddenly emerged on his face. "But I guess it was for the best. Perhaps Sora has given the Imperial warrior a purpose again by destroying that weapon." He landed amidst the fleeing Imperial troops. It was then that he spotted the KH team running from the scene as well. Amongst them, he saw the young warrior Sora running alongside the frightened Imperials. Sora suddenly glanced over and made eye contact. For a second, their eyes locked into one another.

"Kai." Sora uttered.

"Sora." Kai added. "So we meet eye to eye again, eh?"

"Sora!" shouted Riku. "Keep running!"

Within seconds, there was a mighty explosion and the entire sight of the former Oogie Boogie Manner was consumed by a bright light. The misty night turned to day as the explosion illuminated all far regions of the Halloween Town County. Lu Bu, Mickey, and Donald felt the effects of the sound waves sweeping throughout the countryside, blowing everything away.

"You will not have my life so easily." Lu Bu uttered. He jumped into the air and hovered over the sight. From his perspective, he saw an incredible display of light, followed by falling debris and bellowing clouds of dust and smoke. Gazing down, he saw the Imperials troops being blown away from the sight. In the sky, he saw that a few cruisers managed to lift off safely before the explosion erupted.

At the same time, Mickey and Donald were blown away from the sight. They flew back towards Halloween Town. The explosion had bellowed forth with such force that much of the land within a five mile radius was leveled to the ground.


	2. Near Death

Near Death

The entire region near Halloween Town was leveled and destroyed. Halloween Town itself was spared however, but the land south of the town was demolished. Clouds of dust and smoke lingered with the mist. From the ashes, Mickey and Donald emerged coughing and choking. They looked around as they stood to find that they had landed back in Guillotine Square.

"We appear to be back in Halloween Town." uttered Mickey.

"That explosion certainly was massive if it had enough power to blow us all the way back to Halloween Town." Donald replied.

"I hope everyone else is alright."-

At the same time, Riku and the others emerged from the ashes. Riku coughed as he staggered to his feet. He looked around at the devastation. Nothing stood around them and the clouds of dust were thick as cotton, obstructing further vision. But from what Riku could gaze at, there was nothing. No structure or tree remained standing. Every tall object had been felled.

"Man." Riku uttered. "I never would have thought the explosion would have been that great." Suddenly, he saw Jack's head popping out of the ashes. Riku ran to him. "You OK, Jack?"

"I've had better days." Jack uttered.

"Don't worry, I'll dig you out."-

"Don't bother. Just hand me over to him."-

"Him? Him who?" Riku looked behind him to see Jack's body walking around, stumbling on every piece of debris on the ground. "Hey! Get over here!"-

"No use trying to shout at him, Riku." said Jack. "I'm the side with ears remember."

"Oh yeah." Riku picked up Jack's head and placed it back on the body.

"Thanks a lot."-

"Don't mention it." Riku then looked around and saw maimed and weary Imperial troops wandering about in an orderly retreat.

"Boy! That was something else!" a voice shouted out. Riku looked to see Goofy coming towards them, dusting himself off.

"Are you alright, Goofy?"-

"No. Not really." Goofy uttered. He took the hat off his head and pointed at the top of it where the golden steeple used to sit. "I lost my steeple."

"Is that it!"-

"Uh…yeah."-

"No wonder they call you Goofy." said Jack.

"Wait." Riku uttered. "Where's Sora?"

"Isn't he with you?"

"I thought you guys found him."-

"We thought you did." Goofy added.

"We better go find him. Let's split up and see if we can find him." The party split up and looked around the devastated landscape searching for their missing companion. All was quiet and the three found themselves only deeper amongst the devastation.

At the same time, General King and General Triiken wandered about the rubble, looking for missing comrades. They had found several Imperial troops and gathered them up. Their ever-growing train of wounded and dying men extended further and further.

"Any sign of General Durovano?" asked King.

"No sign of him yet, Sir." One soldier replied, who was on lookout duty.

"How many men have we lost today?"-

"We lost an estimated 63 of our forces." General Triiken stated. "The majority of them were caught in the explosion."

"Quite a terrible waste of life, but at least they have died gloriously in battle."-

"If you can call it glorious."-

The body of troops continued of their way, the line continuing to pick up more and more soldiers. The mist swirled around the growing column and the two general kept a vigilant lookout for their missing commander.

"Any sign of General Durovano yet?" asked King.

"Not yet." Triiken replied. "He could be anywhere." It was then that he saw what looked like rocket boosters flaring through the mist. The column edged their way to the light. Soon there was a rumble and a roar as they came closer.

"Ahoy!" cried Triiken. "Ahoy there!"

"General Triiken!" shouted a voice.

"It is I, General Triiken! I have brought stragglers and wounded men!"-

"Bring them here then!" The column drew closer to find a carrier, which survived the explosion, being prepared to be deployed.

"I didn't think you'd make it, Gentlemen." A familiar voice uttered. The two generals looked to see a familiar form taking shape in the darkness.

"General Durovano!" they both shouted. "Good to see you alive!"

"Tell the men that we're leaving here!-

"But why, Sir?" asked Triiken.

"Our mission was a failure. There is no longer a need to stay in this world." He led the wounded troops into the carrier. "I have issued a general retreat. We're going back to Vandor."

"It was all such a waste." said King.

"I know that." Durovano uttered. "However there was nothing that we could have done about it. We thought that no one would find us here. And even so, we thought no one would have gotten so far as actually destroying the cannon, but it happened."

"It's all Sora and Riku's fault!" Triiken uttered. "If it hadn't been for them…"

"Don't work yourselves over this irrelevant matter. I'm sure that Lord Arakis and Master Cavendish will forgive us. Besides, by destroying that cannon we might have saved our own positions as warriors."-

"I suppose you're right."-

"We should really thank those boys." It was then that General Durovano noticed that someone was still mission. "Where is General Kai?"

"We don't know, Sir." said King. "We haven't seen him since he accompanied you."

"He went back to stop the meltdown of the gravity cannon."-

"Could it be possible that General Kai is…." uttered Triiken.

"I doubt that." Durovano uttered. "It seems you underestimate General Kai's ability to survive such a pitiful blast. But I can assure you that General Kai would never allow himself to be caught in such an explosion if he knew he wouldn't survive." Durovano gazed out into the mist. "Nevertheless, I shall take the responsibility of finding him. Hand me one of the scouters. I shall relay the message when I find him."

"Yes, Sir."-

General King ran into the carrier and emerged again with a red lens scouter clutched in his hand.

"A scouter, Sir." He said. General Durovano placed the scouter on his ear and lay the lens over his eye. He blipped on the scouter and detected several high power levels.

"Well, time to choose which one he is." With that, General Durovano worked his way into the darkness, leaving General King and General Triiken to oversee the transportation of their wounded.

As Riku and the KH team looked for Sora, General Durovano spent his time to look for General Kai. It was at this time that Sora picked himself off the ground, coughing out the dust from his lungs. He looked around to see if there was anyone about, but there was no one around.

"Where is everyone?" he uttered to himself. He hollered out to see if there was anyone near by. "Hello! Is anyone out there!" There was no sound. "Riku! Jack! Goofy!" Still there was no response.

"You won't find anyone that way." A voice whispered from the mist. Sora looked about hoping to see who spoke to him.

"Who's there?"-

"So you managed to interfere with our plans again, eh?"-

"Show yourself!" From the mist a figure appeared and Sora knew immediately whom it was that stood before him. "General Kai."

"I must congratulate you, my boy. You've progressed further than anyone who's gone beyond the safety of their own world."-

"Fight me!"-

"Why should I?"-

"We have a rematch to fulfill!"-

"Do you think you can defeat me as you are now?"-

"I've improved a great deal since the last time I fought you!"-

"Is that so?" General Kai stepped forward towards Sora. The young key bearer took hold of his sword and prepared to unsheathe it. But Kai stopped just before reaching striking range. "I'm sorry boy, but that is not an option right now." Kai began to walk away.

"Even after we defeated four members of the Cavendish Shinobis, you won't fight me!"-

"You're just not ready to take me on yet, my boy. I can sense the different elemental powers accumulating within you and I must say I'm disappointed at what you have achieved since our last fight. You are not worth my time. Now, if you don't mind, I have comrades to catch up with." General Kai began to walk away.

"You're scared of me aren't you!" said Sora. General suddenly stopped.

"What did you say?"-

"You heard me! You're afraid of me! You don't want to fight because you know I'll win!"-

"You dare to insult me like that!" said Kai.

"I can do whatever I want! I want you, Kai! By defeating you, I'll find Arakis. And by finding Arakis, I'll find out where Kairi is! But you don't want to fight me because you're scared! Or is it because you want to protect the whereabouts of your lord! Which is it!"-

"You forget your place, Sora! You go too far, you'll only end up digging your own grave!"-

"Fight me, Kai and prove me wrong!"-

"Very well then." Kai unlatched the iron tusk strapped on his back behind his cape. "This fight will be for the sake of my pride and to put you in your place."

"I fight to save Kairi!"-

"I could care less."-

"You take that back!"-

"I don't think so! I could care less about what happens to that little strumpet!"-

"I said take it back!" Sora drew his sword and attacked with great speed, but Kai easily blocked his overhead swing. Banging Sora's blade out of the way, he swung about and cracked Sora on the right side of the head with his heavy weapon. Sora tumbled to ground. Blood seeped from his open wound, dripping on the blackened ground. He could barely open his right eye because of the blood, but still he staggered to his feet.

"What's wrong?" said Kai. "You lose your ego all of a sudden?"

Sora picked up his sword and faced his opponent again. Suddenly, he attacked with sheer ferocity against the shinobi. The two clashed their blades together again and again with no damaged inflicted. Just then, after five minutes of clashing, General Kai parried Sora's blade, slamming it onto the ground. He lunged again and struck the young warrior in the gut. Sora hunched over, falling to his knees. General Kai then slammed his foot across Sora's right cheek, knocking him to the ground. Blood began to drip from Sora's lip.

"Is this it?" said Kai. "Is this what I accepted? A challenge from a worthless insect like you!" Kai walked away. "This fight is already over."

"No. wait." Sora uttered, staggering to his feet. He took heavy breaths and seemed unstable when standing. "This fight isn't over yet." Sora suddenly deployed his new attack, the Twister Strike, given to him by Osiris. A mighty tornado bellowed forth, coming straight for Kai, but the shinobi only deployed his own attack.

"Monsoon Blast!" shouted Kai. A sudden maelstrom bellowed completely overwhelming Sora's twister and the two diminished on impact. Sora could only watch in shock as his new attack was rendered useless.

"Your efforts are futile." said Kai. "You must have picked up that attack from Osiris. Did he not tell you? I was the one who taught him how to use the wind element. So what made you think that I could possibly be defeated by my own attack?"

"It can't be." Sora uttered. He fell to one knee. The use of the Twister Strike drained a great deal of his energy from him.

"Look at you. How do you expect to fight me when you can't even stand anymore?" Kai began to walk away. "You are not ready. You are far from being my equal." But for some reason, he turned around and saw Sora attempting to stand again. He took his sword again and held it at the ready.

"Not yet! I'm not dead yet!"-

"I have no right to kill you. Even if I did what would be the point. You're nowhere near my level of strength."-

"It doesn't matter, I'll defeat you."-

"Now I know you've lost your senses completely. You can barely hold the sword and yet you say you can defeat me? You make me laugh!"-

Sora attacked again and lunged straight forward. Kai with very little effort dodged the sword and struck it out of Sora's hand. He then swung about and hit Sora at the back of the head. The young man fell to the ground, Blood further gushed from his open wounds. Kai suddenly powered up and fired a barrage of fireballs at Sora, point blank. The heat and flames tore at Sora, burning the shirt from off his back. Kai gazed at his handiwork.

"Now, enough of this." Kai uttered. "This fight is decided."

But still Sora stood to face his foe. Deprived of his sword, he reached for the dagger at his side. He held it in front of him.

"I still have enough energy for one last fight." Sora uttered.

"Even now, you remain defiant. I guess only in death will be you be satisfied." Kai flicked a latch on the hilt of his iron tusk and revealed a glimmering blade of the sword. "It's not often that I must draw my sword like this. But if I must kill you, I will. I'm sure Kairi can live with only one friend left alive." Kai stood at the ready. "Now come at me Sora!"

Sora cried out and charged at his enemy. The charge was however futile as Kai slashed upward. The sword cut deep into Sora's abdomen, blood immediately began to gush from the open wound. Sora fell to the ground and this time he did not stand up. Kai sheathed his sword. As he did, he saw someone coming towards him. It was General Durovano.

"General Kai!" he said. "I finally found you." It was then that he saw the body of Sora on the ground. "Is that…?"

"Yes it is." Kai replied. "Sora is dead now. So that's one key bearer down and one to go."

"I have issued a general retreat. We're heading to the carrier and heading back to Vandor."-

"Our work here is done. Then let's be one our way." The two flew back to the carrier, but Kai glanced behind for a second or two. "Rest in peace, Sora."

But Sora was not dead, just badly maimed. He staggered as best as he could, grasping onto the deep wound streaked across his abdomen.

"I have to find Riku…" he uttered as he crawled away.

Riku had separated himself from the others, looking amidst the rubble and debris, hoping that he'd spot his life long friend. The mist swirled around him, obstructing his vision.

"Sora!" he cried. "Can you hear me! Sora!"

There was only silence that surrounded him. Riku kept on going, continuing his search. It seemed hopeless until he got to a stone circle. A few downed lamps still glowed, illuminating the darkness. The only light that was present in the area of devastation. Once again Riku hollered out.

"Sora! Sora!" he cried, but still there was no answer. Riku turned away to continued his search until he suddenly heard a faint voice calling his name.

"Riku…" it uttered. Riku looked about.

"Who's there!"-

"Riku."-

Riku suddenly looked near a groove of downed trees and spotted a dark figure approaching him.

"Who are you!"-

"Riku…" The form took shape and Riku was shocked at who he saw.

"Sora…?"-

Sora looked up with half opened eyes and smiled. He staggered to Riku, the blood still dripping from his wounds.

"Sora!" Riku ran to his friend as Sora collapsed to the ground. Sora landed in Riku's arms, laying his head on his shoulder. Riku placed Sora on his back and held him up, placing his head under his chin. He looked down to see the ghastly wound on his abdomen. "Sora. What happened? Who did this to you?"-

"K…Kai." Sora uttered.

"Kai? General Kai?"-

"I tried to fight him, but he was too powerful… I…I could have…."-

"Don't talk, Sora." Riku looked about in the darkness. "Someone help! Someone help us!"

Sora began to close his eyes, but Riku shook him.

"Stay awake Sora! Stay awake!"-

"R…Riku. I..I'm not gonna make it." Sora whispered with a dying breath.

"You'll make it, Sora. I won't let you die."-

"I…I can't see. It's… so dark."-

"Sora. You stay put. I'm gonna get help." Riku began to release Sora, but Sora clung on to Riku.

"No." He uttered. "Stay here, Riku. Please."

"I'll be back, Sora. I promise I won't go far."-

"Please… stay." But Riku managed to free himself and walked away to find help. But as he began to trek a few feet away, he could hear Sora calling for him.

"Riku… come back." Sora uttered as best he could. He reached out into the darkness attempting to feel out for him. "Riku… please come back." Sora lay his hand down by his side and began to cry. The tears began to drip from his eyes as quickly as his blood did. Riku could hear Sora's weeping and he suddenly turned to see the tears coming from his dying friends eyes. "I'm scared… Riku. I'm… scared." Sora began tried to move, but could only life his hand. "Riku… come back. Come back… please."

Riku could not bear the pain of seeing his best friend lying there dying and alone. Quickly, he rushed to Sora's side. Sora jolted back, not being able to see whom it was that held him.

"Sora. It's me. It's Riku."-

"Riku… You came back." Sora's eyes were filled with tears. "Don't… leave me alone… Not here… I don't want to be alone."

"I won't leave you." Riku whispered. "I'll stay right here by your side."

"I'm so cold." The young man uttered in pain. His voice was silent and trembling. "I'm so cold." Riku embraced his friend tighter, cradling his head under his chin.

"You'll live." said Riku. "I promise."

He held Sora tightly in his arms, as if trying to shield him from whatever impeding danger lurked in the dark. Sora slowly closed his eyes.

"I'm so tired…" he uttered. "I'm… so very, very…. tired."

"You rest yourself." Riku said. Holding the young man in his arms, Riku could only look up into the darkness. He uttered to himself. "Please darkness, shield us from the eyes of our enemies. Let our friends find us here." He then peered down at Sora whose delicate skin was almost pale and his blood as red as a rose. "Sora. I am but a solitary soul who pledged loyalty only to you. To keep you warm when you are cold. To cradle you in my arms when you are alone and frightened. Here I will stay to give you new hope."

It was then that he heard the sound of voices.

"Riku! Sora! You out there!" It was Jack and Goofy.

"We're over here!" cried Riku. "Come quick! Sora's been wounded!"

"We'll be there as soon as we can!"-

"Did you hear that, Sora? They're coming to help us."-

Sora, not having the energy to speak any further, could only smile.

Mickey and Donald could only watch on as the Imperial cruiser, carrying the four commanding generals of the Dark Empire, lifted off into the evening sky vanished without a trace.

"The Imperials no longer have a purpose for staying here." Mickey said. "Our mission was successful."

"Whatever happened to Lu Bu?" Donald asked.

"I have no idea. For all I know is that he disappeared without a trace."-

"Should we tell the others about him?"-

"No Donald. I think we should keep it to ourselves. I don't know how the others would react. Keep it under wraps until the time is right."-

Mickey peered through the darkness hoping that the rest of their group made it out safely. Sally, Dr. Finklestein, and the Mayor emerged from the building and walked on to the street, next to the two KH members.

"I hope that Jack and the others are alright." Sally uttered.

"Don't worry about it." Mickey replied. "I'm sure they'll all come back safely."

"Hey look!" shouted the Mayor. Four figures suddenly appeared out from the misty night.

"They're back!" said Mickey. "They made it back alright."

Sally went running to the group. She encountered Jack and wrapped her arms around her.

"Sally?" Jack uttered.

"I'm so glad that you're alright, Jack." Sally said, happily.

"Good to see that you fellas managed to come back without a scratch." Mickey stated.

"Not all of us." Riku uttered. Mickey suddenly noticed that he was holding Sora who hung almost lifeless in his arms.

"Oh no , Sora!" said Mickey as Riku lay him down. The wounds were dressed in a primitive fashion.

"We have to dress Sora's wounds properly and get him back to Traverse Town."-

"But why? We could just dress them here and let him rest in Halloween Town."-

"Mickey has a point." Jack stated. "Sora's too weak to be moved around any further. We can watch over him."

"I suppose you're right. Mickey, contact Traverse Town and tell them to send someone over with a supply of senzu beans."-

"Right." Mickey replied and ran to the gummi ship still parked on the outskirts of Halloween Town.

"In the mean time, let's get Sora's wounds dressed."-

He picked up Sora, but suddenly he uttered.

"They'll come back for us…" Sora whispered. "They'll... try and kill… us."

"Who?" Riku asked.

"The Empire…" Sora half opened his eyes and looked at Riku. "They'll… come… for us. They'll…" Sora gasped and sneered from the pain.

"Don't try to talk, Sora. We're gonna properly dress your wounds."-

The company went into Dr. Finklestein's laboratory. Placing Sora's body on the cold operating table, the wounded young man recoiled as his skin touched its icy surface. Riku stood by him, holding his dying friend's hand. Sally and Dr. Finklestein, taking antibiotics and clean bandages from the medicine cabinet, began to dress the wounds. They had just about finished when Mickey came barging into the room.

"Riku, Donald, Goofy!" he shouted. "We have a problem!"

"A problem?" Donald asked. "What do you mean a problem?"

"The communication system of the gummi ship has been severely damaged. That massive explosion must've ruptured the electrical system."-

"That's bad then."-

"Well, you know a lot about gummi ships, Donald. Can't you somehow troubleshoot the system to make it work again?"

"Darn it Mickey! I'm a wizard, not a mechanic!"-

"It's too bad we didn't bring Chip and Dale along this time. But I didn't think we'd be doing this much traveling."-

"But we need to get those senzu beans for Sora." said Goofy. "His life depends upon it."

"Then I think it best that one of us has to go back to Traverse Town, find Goten and tell him that we need more senzu beans."-

"But what if we're ambushed by Imperials on the way there?" asked Donald. "We wouldn't be able to take them on alone."

"Then at least two of you go."-

"But that'll cut your strength in half." Mickey stated. "Suppose the Imperials return for retaliation. You know how some of those commanders want out heads on a platter."

"That's a risk we must be willing to take. I'll stay here and defend in case the Imperials come."-

"But we won't stand a chance if we're attacked." Donald replied. "You've seen how their patrols relentlessly attack us when we're in the wrong place at the wrong time."

"But right now, Sora is our main concern." Riku began. "He won't be able to stand the journey. And going into warp speed may cause further difficulties. He's already lost a great deal of blood from that open wound on his abs."

"Riku…" Sora uttered. The young man sat up. "I can make it… I can make it… back to Traverse Town."

"Are you sure?"-

"I don't… want to make anymore… trouble for Jack and the others… This is our fight… And I don't want anyone else to… get in harms way. Halloween Town… isn't properly protected from… the Empire… That is why we… must go."-

"Alright Sora. You win." Riku turned to Mickey and the others. "Board the gummi ship. We're going back to Traverse Town."

The KH team boarded the Leviathan and the engines ignited. Riku was the last to board. As he did, he saw Jack and the others waving to him.

"Thank you very much for your help, Riku!" Jack shouted.

"It was a pleasure!" Riku replied. With that, he entered the gummi ship. The airlock doors shut behind him and the gummi ship lifted off into the atmosphere, vanishing into the early morning sky.

Little did either side realize that a solitary individual was still watching from afar. Lu Bu was still on the outskirts of Halloween Town. Getting his space pod ready, he glanced towards the area where the gummi ship had taken off.

"Traverse Town, eh?" Lu Bu uttered to himself. "You're heading back to that backwash settlement, Riku? Well, wherever you go, I'll be right behind you. I intend to regain my pride as the mightiest man alive and that's what I'll do."

He squeezed himself into the pod and shut himself in. The energy level increased and Lu Bu maneuvered his way off the ground and into the atmosphere unnoticed. Setting his course to Traverse Town, he thirsted to the thought of a rematch against Riku and longed to take back his title as the strongest.

"Soon I will have revenge." He uttered. The space pod went into warp drive and headed towards Traverse Town.


	3. Assassination

Assassination

Cuchulain stood vigilant in the first district, sitting on the steps of the town entry. His trident, the Gae Bulga lay nestled on his shoulder. With his head bowed down, he could observe passersby without them noticing that he were gazing at them. It was then that he heard a familiar rumble which could only be the sound of rockets from a gummi ship. He stood up and ran to the main gates and before him, the mighty Leviathan landed and took port. Cuchulain stood to where the airlock doors were located and waited for his comrades to come out.

"Could it be that they've come back?" he thought. The doors opened and from the darkness of its hull, Mickey and Donald came out. Cuchulain ran to greet them. "I see you guys made it back safely."

"Good to be back." Mickey replied. "How is everything here?"

"We haven't had any incidences with the Imperials ever since you left. I think we scared them off for good. Too bad though. I never got to fight the Imperials."-

"That's because you were asleep throughout that entire ordeal!" Donald uttered. Mickey whacked his friend at the back of the head.

"Shut up…" Mickey whispered.

"So all of you managed to fulfill your mission without suffering one casualty?" Cuchulain asked.

"Well, not exactly."-

"What do you mean?"-

Cuchulain then looked up to see Goofy and Riku carrying Sora.

"Hey Cuchulain." said Goofy.

"What happened?" asked the Hound.

"Sora's been severely injured." Riku replied. "Is Goten here?"

"Goten? No he isn't. He's still in Oceansburg with Sneer and Lu Xun. Why do you ask?"-

"Damn. We need some senzu beans for Sora."-

"I'll tell the others that you've arrived. We'll set Sora up in the hotel in the second district. Come hurry."-

The party walked to where the Hotel was. Sora having very little energy could only make one baby step at a time. The walk from the main gate to the hotel in the second district was not a far distance. But for a young man in pain and who had lost a lot of blood and almost unconscious, it was a long walk. They eventually made it to the hotel and placed Sora in the red room. Riku laid his friend on his bed. Night fell and the lights from the alleyway peered through the window, creating a shadowy contrast on Sora's face. Goofy lit the lamps in the room, creating a descent yet dim amount of light.

Leon and Yuffie accompanied Cuchulain where Sora lay.

"Is Sora alright?" asked Yuffie.

"He's slightly unconscious and he's lost a lot of blood." Riku said. "Just give him some time to rest."

"I wired Goten." Leon stated. "He says that he's on his way right now."

"What about the senzu beans?"-

"He says that the senzu beans won't be ready for another day, or so. But he says that once their ready, they'll be delivered to us."-

"Is Goten bringing it here?"-

"No. His dad, Goku, is going to deliver the beans here. Goten will arrive here within the next hour, or so."-

"Here you go, Riku." said Mickey, handing him a bowl of water with a damp cloth.

"Thanks Mickey." Riku replied. He dampened the sponge and wiped the dirt and sweat from Sora's face. The young man gasped suddenly as if he had held his breath. Sora opened his eyes slightly and gazed up at Riku.

"R…Riku?" Sora uttered. He tried to sit up, but Riku gently forced him down again.

"Lay still, Sora. You must rest your body. You've been through a lot."-

"Where am I?" Sora's half opened eyes gazed about the room.

"You're in the red room in the Traverse Town hotel in the second district."-

"We'll leave you two alone." Cuchulain uttered, shooing the others out of the room. He closed the door behind him, leaving Riku alone with his young friend.

"I thought you weren't going to make it." Riku said.

"I felt myself passing away." Sora whispered. "I could feel myself slip away." Sora tried to lift his head but it collapsed on the pillow again. Sora's eyes closed again and the young key bearer was once again asleep. Riku stroked his forehead and smiled.

"You rest Sora. I guarantee that you'll feel better in a few hours." Riku exited the room and closed the door behind him. He sat in the green room where Mickey, Donald, and Goofy were sitting.

"Is Sora gonna be alright?" asked Mickey.

"He's fine." Riku stated. "All he needs right now is some good rest."

"Gawrsh." Goofy said. "I didn't think Sora would make it through all that."

"Ah phooey!" Donald said. "I know Sora and he isn't the type to give up so easily."

"That's true." Riku added. "Sora will never give up so long as breath still enters and exits his lungs." It was then that Riku felt a strange presence from far away. He suddenly turned cold in the face and he gazed out the window.

"Are you OK, Riku?" asked Goofy.

"I'm alright. I just thought I felt something."-

An hour passed swiftly and without notice, Riku and his comrades still remained vigilant over the red room where Sora slept soundly.

"Sora really must be tired." Mickey said. "Not surprising though."

"He'll be alright." Donald assured him. "Just let him be." It was then that Donald noticed that Riku still had that cold stare on his face. "Riku? Are you sure you're alright?"

"I have this strange feeling that someone is out there?" Riku uttered. "An eerie presence. A threatening presence."

"It must be your imagination."-

"If it was, this feeling of fear that I have wouldn't be lasting this long."-

Suddenly, Cuchulain came into the room and presented himself before the team.

"Hey guys." he began. "Goten has arrived. His cruiser is just about to land."

"Come on, Riku." said Mickey. "Let's go meet him."

"But what about Sora?" Riku asked. "I can't just leave him alone."

"Don't worry about him." said Donald. "Nothing will happen to Sora." The three joined with Cuchulain and rushed out of the room. Riku gazed at the door leading to the red room, where a slumbering Sora lay defenseless and weak. Riku shook his head. "Maybe Donald's right. Maybe I'm being a little paranoid." He walked out of the green room and into the hall. He exited the hotel and looked about to see if there was anyone there. The lights illuminated the walkways revealing that there was no one walking about in the second district besides him. Riku continued to walk towards the gates leading to the first district, but he stopped as his conscious nagged him to stay.

"What if something were to happen?" Riku thought to himself. "If something were to happen to Sora I wouldn't be able to reach him in time. Or am I so stressed by the passed events that I can't even determine the difference between a real threat and my own imagination?" Instead of meeting with the others who went to greet Goten, Riku wandered about in the second district, keeping watch.

At the same time, Sora awoke from a deep sleep. He staggered to sit up and moved the end of the bed. He dangled his feet over the edge and laid them firmly on the floor. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. His eyes were still half shut. Grasping the bandaged wound on his abdomen, he hoped to comfort the pain. Not a sharp pain, but one that seemed to throb heavily.

"What I had to get myself into." he uttered to himself.

"Aw. Poor baby." A voice suddenly whispered. Sora looked up to see a young lady standing in front of the door leading to the green room. "Does it hurt?"

"Who are you?" Sora asked.

"Why I'm the answer to all your prayers." The young lady replied. "I've come to comfort you. You are so alone in this big room, on such a big bed." She approached Sora. Sora slightly backed off onto the mattress again. The young lady just stopped at the foot of the bed. "You're name is Sora right?"

"How did you know that?"-

"I overheard your friends talking." She gazed down at the wounds inflicted on him that had been mended. "Oh, you have been hurt. Did those nasty people hurt you?" She began to climb on the bed and neared Sora. She came up and stroked her hand on his abdomen. "Don't worry I'll make it better."

"Miss," Sora uttered, "I don't know how to react to that. You don't need to be so close to me."

"But why not? You're so handsome and so hot." She continued to close the distance between her and Sora. "So young too."

"Please Miss. I don't even know who you are."

Meanwhile, at the main gate, Cuchulain, Leon, and the others watched as Goten's ship touched down and made port. Immediately after it had settled, the airlock doors automatically opened and Goten rushed out.

"It's good to see you again, Goten." Mickey said. But Goten seemed to be in a hurry.

"Sora! Riku! Where are they!" Goten asked.

"They're at the hotel in the second district." Donald implied. He looked around. "I guess Riku decided not to follow us."

"Why do you ask?" asked Leon. Goten didn't utter a word further. Instead, he rushed to the second district with all possible speed.

"Goten!" said Yuffie. "Yo, Goten come back!"

"Why is he in such a hurry?" asked Goofy.

"And what's with that worried look in his face?" Mickey added.

"I don't know, but it must be concerning Riku and Sora." Cuchulain said.

"Well, come on." Leon implied. "Let's follow him."

The company was on Goten's heels, still wondering why Goten looked grief stricken.

In the meantime, Sora was still confronted by the young woman, who now stood over him. He rested on his elbows and the young woman began rubbing her hand on his chest. She then forced him down on the bed and straddled him across his stomach.

"Please Miss. Don't do this." Sora pleaded. "I don't even know who you are."

"Shhh." She said, looking straight down on him. She tightened her legs over him and pinned both of Sora's hands down. "I just want to see you up close. You have such beautiful blue eyes."

"Miss! Tell me what is it that you want from me! What do you expect me to do!" Suddenly another figure appeared over him, opposite the girl. It was a young man who looked down on him.

"All we want you to do, Sora," the young man said, "is die!"

He suddenly threw one of the heavy pillows on Sora's face. Sora realized what was happening now, but it was too late. There was a violent struggle between the three. The young man wrapped the pillow over Sora's head while the young woman kept his arms pinned. Sora thrashed about violently, his legs kicking in the air, and muffled cries bellowing from beneath the cloth.

At the same time, Riku awaited for the others to return. He sat quietly on the wall of the walkway, just outside the hotel when Goten suddenly burst through the doors. Riku stood up automatically.

"Goten." He said. Goten rushed to him, the others behind him. "What's the matter?"

"Danger!" Goten shouted. "You and Sora are in grave danger!"

"What do you mean?"-

"There are two assassins who have come to kill you and Sora! They're here in Traverse Town!" Goten looked about. "Where's Sora?"

Riku, stricken with fear, rushed into the hotel with Goten and the others flowing him close behind.

Sora slowly suffocated as the young man added more pressure to the pillow. Sora's cries became louder and his legs thrashed about more violently then ever. He tired to raise his arms, but the young woman kept them pinned.

"He's a real fighter." the young man said.

"He was so cute too." the young lade added. "How is he in his thrashing?"

"Oh you should see those legs kick."-

"It's not his thrashing limbs I'm worried about." Letting go of Sora's left, she reached back and began rubbing her hand up and down his crotch. Sora cried out.

"Stop!" he cried. "Someone help me!"

"Ain't no one gonna help you now!" the young man chuckled.

"Yeah." The young woman said, still rubbing her hand on Sora's crotch. "Just keep thrashing. I like it."

But suddenly, there was a bang on the door, which scared the two.

"Open up!" shouted Riku from the other side.

"What!" said the young man. "But how!"

"They knew we were here?" the young lady added. She turned to the young man. "Let's finish this and go!" As the pounding on the door became louder and more threatening, the young man pressed the pillow down on Sora's face. Sora thrashed about violently for only a few more seconds before they stuck up for a brief moment and fell dead to the bed mattress. His struggle died down and Sora stopped moving. But as he ceased to move, the doors burst open and there stood Goten, Riku, and Cuchulain.

Cuchulain thrust the Gae Bulga and struck the young woman in the back. The prongs of the spear pierced through her back and exited out her chest. She slumped backwards and died. The young man tried to escape, but Goten unsheathed his sword and threw it at the young man. The sword cut the young man on the left shoulder and stuck into the wall.

"This ain't over!" the young man bellowed and crashed through the window. Landing on the ground, he fled into the darkness of the alleyway. Goten and Cuchulain went to see where he had gone, but there was no sign.

Meanwhile, Riku jumped onto the bed and took the pillow off Sora's head. Sora's eyes were closed and his breathing stopped. Riku held his friend in his arms.

"Sora!" he cried. "Wake up! Please wake up!"

Sora suddenly began coughing violently, taking deep breathes at the same time. He panicked, not knowing where he was until he saw Riku staring down at him. Sora's eyes filled with tears and he wept into Riku's coat. Riku held his friend tightly against him.

"It's alright, Sora." he said. "It's alright."

Later having enough strength to walk, Sora joined Riku and the others to observe the dead corpse of the woman.

"Stifle Asphyxia." Goten uttered.

"Is she the one you tried to warn us about?" Riku asked.

"She and her brother Smother were the ones alright. That is why they are called the Asphyxia Twins, because they specialize in silent killing in strangulation, or suffocation."-

"But why would they intend to kill their victims in such a barbaric fashion?" asked Leon.

"The reason why is because they find pleasure in torturing their victims." Goten turned to Sora. "Tell me Sora. What did they do to you?"

"Well, this young girl attempted to seduce me." Sora began. "She crawled on top of me and pinned me down. Suddenly, her brother forced a pillow onto my head and tried to suffocate me. I could feel myself dying. I couldn't breathe and tried for fight them off, but this girl pinned my arms down. But suddenly, she let go of my left arm and I could suddenly feel her hand rubbing itself up and down my crotch. But violation of my private parts was the last thing on my mind. I felt myself die and I just went limp, not able to move. I could feel a sinking feeling in my body as if I were very heavy and seemed to pass away."

"To further emphasize on the question why the Asphyxia Twins did what they did and do what they do is because they also engage in asphyxiating sodomy."

"What does that mean?"-

"They are sexually aroused by inflicting pain on their victims through strangulation, or suffocation. They enjoy the sight of someone thrashing about violently."-

"What kind of sick minded individuals are these two?" Leon asked.

"Sick minded and the best silent assassins known in our universe. They can kill their victim and suddenly vanish without a trace. No one was able to catch them in the act, or prevent any of their murders until now. Thanks to an anonymous source, we managed to catch them and stop an attempted assassination."

"So I guess it's only Smother that's left." Mickey asked.

"Alone, they were not much of a threat. They aren't physically strong enough to tackle a job alone. It was when they were together that they proved to be a deadly combination."-

"So I guess Smother is just like one of those bullies." Riku uttered. "He's alone for the first time in his life and he's afraid."

"So, I guess the ordeal is over then." Sora added.

However, they didn't realize that Smother Asphyxia was watching them from the door leading to the alleyway.

"This isn't over." Smother said. "I'll kill you and Sora next time, Riku. This time, I'll kill you for vengeance. You killed my sister and now I'll take your lives."

"Quite a bold statement." A voice suddenly uttered from behind him. Smother turned to see a familiar face looking at him.

"General Ameba."-

"You failed to carry out your mission, I see." The General uttered.

"They killed my sister!"-

"Aw, that's too bad."-

"Don't worry. I'll take my revenge by killing both those key bearers."-

"I'm sorry to hear that." Ameba suddenly uttered. Smother stood puzzled.

"Why do you say that? And what brings you here anyway, Sir?"-

"I came to tell you that your part in this is over."-

"What do you mean by that?" Ameba smiled and placed his hand on Smother's shoulder.

"I hope you won't take this personally." Ameba suddenly revealed a bayonet from beneath his sleeve and thrust it into Smother's gut. The boy gasped as he felt the bayonet enter is body. Ameba released him, forcing the young man to fall dying. The blood seeped from the open wound and Smother could only look up at his employer.

"But why…?" he uttered. "Why did…you do this?"

"I found out," Ameba explained, "That Riku and Sora are worth more to me alive. By sparing their lives, I would be able to gain my lordship if I were to capture them alive. But had you killed even one of them, my promotion to lord would have once again been denied and that is something which I cannot have. Thus, you must pay the price for attempting to kill them."-

"But that's…what you hired us…to do…" blood now began to seep from his mouth.

"The situation has changed my boy. You are irrelevant now."-

Smother tried to crawl away, but Ameba slowly followed behind him. Ameba saw that Smother had dropped his famous death cord, which he used to strangle his victims. He picked it up and knelt behind Smother.

"You seem to enjoy seeing your victims gasp and choke when you kill them." Ameba then wrapped the chord around the young man's throat. "Let's see how you enjoy your own medicine."

Smother tried to cry out, but Ameba only tightened the chord around his throat. Finally, with all his might, the young man cried out for help as best he could.

His cry didn't go unnoticed though. Riku and the others heard the death cry as clear as a bell.

"Did you hear that?" Riku asked.

"Sure did." Yuffie added. "It came from the alleyway whatever it was."

The party rushed to the gates leading to the alleyway. Opening the doors, they gazed upon a trail of blood. Tracing it, they stumbled upon the body of Smother Asphyxia.

"Smother Asphyxia." Goten uttered.

"Is he dead?" asked Riku, as they bent over the body. They observed a red streak around his throat.

"So," Leon uttered, "a victim of his own pleasure."

It was suddenly that Smother gasped and sat up. The party was stunned to see this. But Riku wasn't afraid and grabbed Smother by the collar.

"Oh! You're still alive!" he said angrily. "You should have stayed dead! Now, you have me to contend with!"

"Riku…don't" Sora uttered as he hobbled to Smother. Smother looked into the eyes of the young man whom he and his sister tried to desperately murder. "What happened?"

Smother looked at his hands, which were covered in his own blood.

"Useless…" he uttered. "Useless…and bloody."

"You better tell us what happened!" said Riku, violently shaking the assassin.

"He…betrayed us…He betrayed us"-

"Who?" Sora asked. But before he could utter a syllable, a dagger flew from out of nowhere and pierced his chest. The party looked about to see where the dagger came from.

"Spread out!" Leon ordered. "Find the assailant!" Mickey, Donald, Goofy, Leon, and Cuchulain spread out to search the area where the knife came from.

Smother coughed violently and the blood seeped from the sides of his mouth. He grasped onto Sora's shoulder and gazed into the key bearer's eyes.

"Sorry…" he uttered. A solitary tear rolled down his face before Smother fell dead to the ground. Sora placed his hand over the assassin's eyes and closed them.

"It's alright." Sora uttered. Sora stood up and gazed into the starry night. He noticed Goten and the others scouring the rooftops, looking for the assassin.

"Why would the Empire wish to kill their best assassins?" Yuffie asked.

"I don't know." Riku added. "Whoever it is, they don't want the word to get out that an attempt on Sora's life was made."

"I can't stay here." Sora uttered.

"What are you talking about, Sora?"-

Suddenly Sora collapsed, but Riku and Yuffie managed to catch him before he fell to the ground. Sweat began to drip from the key bearer's forehead.

"Sora." Riku uttered. He gazed at Yuffie. "He's still weak from his bout with General Kai."

"Let's get him back into the hotel." Yuffie said. "Let's get him into the green room this time."

"Right."

The two picked up the weary warrior and took him back into the hotel.

The night grew colder and the pursuit of Smother's assassin was called off. The KH team reassembled at the green room. Cuchulain and Leon walked about in the hallway, watching for anyone suspicious. Goten and Yuffie stood vigilant on the balcony of the green room. At the same time, Goofy, Mickey, Donald, and Riku stood watch over their dying friend. Riku dabbed a wet cloth over his friend's forehead, wiping the sweat away.

"I've never seen Sora so weak." Mickey uttered.

"He's been through a lot." Riku replied. "Goten! How much longer till your dad gets here with those senzu beans?"

"He should be here within the hour." Goten replied. "I know my dad. He's never come too late before."

"How's Sora holding out?" asked Yuffie.

"He's doing pretty well right now. Just needs some sleep."-

"I know. He's been through a lot."-

Just then, they heard Cuchulain shouting from the hallway.

"Riku!" he cried. "Someone's coming!"

Riku ran out, leaving the others to watch over Sora. He joined Cuchulain and Leon in the hallway.

"What's going on?" asked Riku.

"Someone's approaching from the alleyway leading to the third district." Riku looked out to see a form approaching from the shadows. Riku walked out of the hotel to meet the figure. He stood on the walkway just outside the hotel and waited for the figure to come closer.

"Are you Riku?" the figure asked.

"Yes!" Riku replied. "Are you…?" But as the figure drew nearer, Riku immediately recognized who it was.

"Arakis!" he shouted. The figure looked around.

"Arakis! Where!" But he realized that Riku had drawn his sword and was rushing towards him. "Hey, wait a minute! Wait a minute!"

Riku chased the figure about the courtyard with his sword held over his head.

"You won't get away, Arakis!" Riku roared.

"I'm not Arakis!" the figure pleaded. "Put down the sword!"

"You can't fool me!"-

"Riku! Wait!" Goten suddenly shouted from the walkway.

"But Arakis…!"-

"That's not Arakis, Riku." Goten flew down to the courtyard and sided alongside Riku. "That's my father, Son Goku."

"Son Goku?"-

"Yes!" the figure said. "It's Goku." Goku approached the two, slightly leery about how to approach.

"But how can that be?" Riku asked.

"I forgot to mention this to you," Goten explained, "but Lord Arakis and my father are exact look alikes."

"But how's that possible?"-

"Simple. My dad and I are descendents of Lord Arakis."-

"You are?"-

"That's what explains the strong striking resemblance between my dad and Arakis."-

"Hard to believe?" Goku added. "I wouldn't blame you. We just found that out only recently."

"You get it, Riku?" Goten asked.

"I understand." Riku said. He approached Goku and stretched out his hand. "Sorry for what happened."

"Water under the bridge." Goku chuckled, grasping at Riku's hand. "You're not the first to mistaken me for Arakis. But believe me, we have nothing in common, he and I. And just for that, I come bearing gifts." He took out a bag of senzu beans and gave it to Riku. "Here's what you requested, Riku."

"Thank you." Riku replied, accepting the bag from Goku. They rushed back to the room where Sora lay. Riku took out one of the senzu beans and, holding Sora's head up, he nudged the bean at his lips. "Sora. Here's a senzu bean."

"A bean." Sora uttered. He opened his mouth and Riku placed the bean on his tongue. Sora slowly chewed the bean. Everyone watched with anxious eyes, hoping that the bean would work its magic as it did before. As soon as Sora had swallowed it, his eyes widely opened and he stood up in the bed. "I feel better."

"That's great." Riku uttered. Everyone cheered, knowing that the young key bearer would be alright after all.

"Thanks, Riku."-

"Don't thank me, Sora. You should thank Goku."-

"Goku?"-

Goku lurched his way forward. Sora gazed into his eyes.

"I see you've fully recovered." Goku chuckled.

"Thank you…" Sora uttered.

"No trouble at all."-

Soon after, Sora was dressing himself in a new outfit. Riku leaned next to the door, his arms folded in front of him.

"Why is it that Goku looks like Arakis?" Sora asked.

"He and Arakis are distantly related." Riku replied. "Arakis is in fact Goku's ancestor."

"Just how old is Arakis?"-

"Who knows. But if he's called Goku's ancestor, he must really be ancient."-

"No wonder he's held such high esteem within the Empire." Sora put a new white shirt on and tucked it into his black jeans.

"If I had my way, I'd like to meet Lord Arakis and fight him. That would save us a whole lot of trouble."-

Sora suddenly remembered his duel with the might Death Lord. He remembered just how powerful he was.

"He's stronger than you think, Riku." Sora uttered.

"How do you know?" Riku asked.

"Well, I…" Sora stuttered, not wanting to reveal the details of the duel he had against Arakis. How could he look at Riku and say that he had the chance to fight Arakis and end their search for Kairi sooner, but failed? He knew by revealing such an event, Riku would never forgive him. Sora immediately came up with an alternative explanation. "It was just how Goten and the others were describing his strength."

"Arakis can't be that powerful can he?"-

"Being a threat to the universe, I say he holds a lot of energy to be a greater threat than either you, or I can comprehend."-

"Well, when I get the chance to fight him, I will. And I'll win."-

"Oh Riku. If you only knew." Sora thought to himself.

"Hey guys!" Goku called. "Come here!"

"What is it, dad?" Goten asked. The others gathered around him.

"Is it something important?" Leon asked.

"I forgot to mention it before." Goku said.

"Well what is it?" Sora asked.

"Does it have something to do with the Empire?" Riku added.

"Not really." Goku explained. "It has more to do with the Alliance. Sneer said that he'll be sending a regiment of Alliance soldiers here to fortify a refuge for the refugees."

"We'll be receiving refugees?" Cuchulain asked.

"That's right. And we need everyone in town to help look after these people."-

"Very well." Leon stated. "We'll set up tents in the courtyards of the three districts."

"I'll see if anyone is willing to provide shelter for any of the refugees." Yuffie added.

"What about medical supplies?" Mickey asked.

"Yeah." Donald added. "You can't give aid without medical supplies and food?"

"Provisions will be coming with the regiment of soldiers." Goku explained. "We just have to be ready to accept the refugees."

"Where are the refugees coming from?" Sora asked.

"Everywhere."-

"How many?"-

"From what Sneer was telling me, a lot. At least three thousand."-

"Three thousand refugees?" Riku said, astonished.

"That's right." Goku rushed out the door.

"Where're you going, Goku?" Goofy asked.

"I have to return to Oceansburg and meet with Sneer." Goku explained. "He wants me to report back to him as soon as I gave the message and the senzu beans to you guys." He placed his middle and index finger to his forehead and prepared to deploy instant transmission. But as he walked outside the hotel, he suddenly felt an evil presence lurking about in the darkness.

"What's up, Goku?" Riku asked as he and the others rushed out.

"Someone is here." Goku uttered. "An evil power."

"Yeah." Goten replied. "And I'll give you a guess who it is."

"What are they talking about?" Mickey asked.

"You can search me." Donald replied. "I don't see anyone out there."

"They have the ability to sense the energy accumulating from the enemy." Riku uttered. "Every warrior develops this instinct."

"By the sense I'm feeling," Sora said, "It's definitely a familiar trait."

"You couldn't be more right than that!" a voice hollered up. The party looked up to see a shadowy figure standing upon the rooftop of the outlet building.

"There he is!" Cuchulain pointed out.

The figure descended to the courtyard. When his face was illuminated by the lamps of the second district, the party reacted in a hostile manner. Lord Drako Arakis of the Dark Empire had come before them.

"Arakis." Sora uttered.

"What are you doing here, Arakis!" Goku said.

"I just wanted to see how my prized opponents were doing." said Arakis. "I didn't want any of them to meet their fates prematurely. What surprises me though is what someone like you is doing here, Kakarrot."

"I needed to help these guys."-

"Just like you, Kakarrot. Always playing the compassionate hero. However, the efforts you take will be in vain. You can't be everywhere at once. Stray but a little from your objective and you would have lost a great deal of time and effort on a lost cause. Just by standing here conversing with the members of the KH group is costing you. As we speak, the Dark Empire is taking over other dimensional realms. Hundreds are on the verge of falling beneath our might."-

"But what's the Empire if I take out the leaders!"-

"And what chance do you think you have against me?"-

Goku sneered and jumped to confront Arakis. He stood ready to fight.

"I believe my chances are fair enough." Goku said. "You wish to fight me! Then I gladly accept your challenge!"-

"I would love to fight you, Kakarrot." Arakis chuckled. "However, you're just not worth my time right now."

"What's the matter, Arakis! Do I scare you!"-

"Please, Kakarrot. Can't you think of something more original?"-

"Hey!" Sora shouted. "Arakis!"

Arakis glared up at Sora, a slight smirk on his face.

"And what is it that you want, key bearer?" Arakis asked.

"Were you the one who killed Smother Asphyxia!"-

"The Asphyxia Twins were here?"-

"Don't play dumb with us!" Riku shouted. "We know that you sent those two assassins to kill Sora!"

"Why would I want to do that? I have no intention of killing you. Unless it was in a fight."-

"Well either way, both of them are dead!" Riku jumped aside Goku and drew his blade from the sheath. He presented the sharpened steel before Arakis. "And since we're on the subject, I know that you're the one who knows where my friend Kairi is! Tell me! Where is she!"

"For you own sake, sheath your sword." Arakis uttered. "If you value your life that is."

"You're the only one who knows where Kairi is and I intend to get that information from you. Even if I have to beat it out of you!"-

"Fighting you as you are now would not be worth my time, Riku. You wouldn't stand a chance against me."-

"We'll just see about that." But just then, Goku placed his hand on Riku's shoulder. "Goku?"

"Your fight is with me, Arakis!" Goku stated. "No one else! We still have an old score to settle!"

"Still haven't forgiven me for what I did you your son, Gohan and your granddaughter, Pan eh, Kakarrot?" Arakis chuckled. "Well if you wish to fight me, then go ahead, but it won't be here. I don't intend to fight you with my full strength. And I know how you hate to engage in a fight where your opponent is not taking the fight seriously and not use their full strength." Arakis turned his back towards the two. He suddenly glanced back at Sora, staring at him with he smirking eyes. He then turned his back on the party again and began to hover into the air. "Till the next time we meet, my friends. Next time, you may not be as lucky as you have been in this night."

With that, Arakis vanished into the night sky, leaving the party standing in the cool night breeze.

"Next time, Arakis." Riku uttered to himself. "It'll be you that won't be so lucky."


	4. Shinobi and the Shadow Queen

Shinobi and Shadow Queen

As the KH group began their assembly, preparing to enter their next destination at the "Ico Realm," Leon, Yuffie, Goten, Goku, and Cuchulain prepared a tent city throughout the three districts of Traverse Town. The Alliance regiment of soldiers and doctors had taken port and were now deploying their medical supplies throughout the city. Local citizens help lend a hand, preparing their own residence to accept temporary refugees. Sora could only look on watching such bustling activity. Helping with the supplies for the refugees, he slung a bag full of bread off his shoulders and took a moment to gaze upon the sight while catching his breath.

"It's nice to know that people can always rely on good guys like them to help." he uttered.

"It's for the best." Riku added, placing a box of medical supplies on the ground. "These people who are coming will need assistance. It's great to lend a hand for them."

"Well, let's get these last few items to where they need to be so that we can take off for our next mission."-

"That's right. The sooner we defeat our enemies and gather what we need to know, the sooner we can rescue Kairi and we three can go home." Riku gazed down at his feet.

"Are you alright?" Sora asked.

"If only I was able to confront Arakis when I had the chance," Riku replied, "Our part in this would've finished a long time ago." He turned to Sora. "If you ever confront Arakis one on one Sora, don't hold back. Defeat him where you find him."

"I'll keep that in mind." Sora suddenly broke out into a cold sweat. Riku had not yet known of his encounter with Lord Arakis, how he fought him, and how he lost so easily to the Death Lord. Questions began to fill his mind. Should he tell Riku about his scuffle with the Imperial? How would Riku react? And what would revealing this secret do to their friendship?

"Do you promise, Sora!" Riku reiterated, grabbing his friend tightly by the shoulders. "If you ever get the chance to fight Arakis, defeat him no matter what. Understand?"

"I…I understand." Sora uttered, lowering his eyes. He looked up at Riku and could see what looked like rage in his eyes. Riku smiled and lifted the medical box. He then continued on his way to delivering the supplies. Sora picked up the bread, his mind still full of questions.

"It's best that I don't reveal that secret to Riku." Sora uttered. "I'm the only one who knows about that fight. I can't tell Riku, or anyone else." Picking up the sack of bread, Sora too continued on his way.

As the crew boarded the gummi ship, Sora was sitting on a crate waiting for Riku to finish whit whatever business he had to carry out with. As he sat, Riku eventually appeared before him, walking down the port. His arms were placed behind him. Sora stood up.

"Are you ready to go, Riku?" Sora asked.

"Ready, willing, and able." Riku replied. "But you really don't intend to go into battle without a weapon do you?"

Sora suddenly remembered that he left his sword at Halloween Town.

"Oh no! I forgot it at Halloween Town."-

"Thank goodness you have loyal friends beside you, Sora." Riku pulled his hands from behind him and presented before Sora, his sword. Sora took the sword from his friend. "Goofy managed to retrieve it before we left Halloween Town. I took the liberty of polishing it up for you."

"Thanks Riku." Sora uttered. "Thanks a lot."

"Don't worry about it. Just promise me one thing though." Riku placed his hand on Sora's shoulder. "Don't lose it again."

"I won't. I promise."

The two smiled and went on their way. With that, they boarded the ship and prepared to take off.

Cuchulain and Goten watched as the gummi ship took off and vanished into the darkness of the evening sky.

"There they go." Cuchulain said. "Off on another crazy adventure."

"You suppose they'll be able to fight off their next challenge without our help?" Goten asked. "The Master of Earth isn't an easy shinobi to take down."

"So I've heard. But Riku and the others are tough enough to take on whatever comes at them. I can assure you that much." Cuchulain began to walk away. "It's too bad that I'm not able to help them though. I long to battle against powerful foes too. Instead, I'm stuck here babysitting."

"Don't worry, Cuchulain. The Hound will see battle sooner than you think."-

Expressing their final word on the matter, the two went back into Traverse Town to further prepare for the refugees.

It wasn't long however before the group managed to reach the "Ico Realm." As the Leviathan entered the atmosphere of the world, the KH team saw before them a green and fertile land with dense forest and vast oceans. The Leviathan soon found itself hovering over a vast ocean. The water was calm and clear, glimmering under the bright sun.

"This must be the place." Riku said.

"But where exactly are we supposed to be going though?" Sora asked. "I see nothing out there by uninhabited land and a vast ocean."

"I have to agree with Sora." Donald added. "I see nothing out there. And that next shinobi is around here somewhere."

"Hey! Wait a minute!" Goofy interrupted. "Looky there!" He pointed to what looked like a large castle in their vicinity. The castle had the appearance of an old fortress with high walls and vast isolation from the rest of the land mass. The only thing connecting the castle with the mainland coast was a skinny stone bridge which stood a thousand feet above the ground. The gummi ship landed on the main opening, just outside the main gate. The sight of the castle seemed forbidding and threatening.

"Man." Mickey uttered. "This place is scary."

"I think that's what its purpose is for." Riku explained. "These fortresses were meant to be intimidating."

"I wonder if anyone's home." Goofy asked.

"There has to be somebody around." Sora replied. "Those torches are lit." He pointed to eight great pillars that stood tall on each side of the main walkway into the castle. The flames were burning high before the group. They walked close together, Sora and Riku leading the way. They entered into the front courtyard. Before them were a series of pathways, leading to yet another door, which entered into the castle itself.

"Hello!" Sora cried. "Hello!"

"Is anyone here!" Riku added.

"Come out! Come out, wherever you are!" Goofy hollered.

"It's not as if they're playing hide and seek." Donald explained.

"Can't hurt to try."-

"There's no one here." Sora said. "This place is abandoned."

"Then, why are those lamps lit?" Riku asked. "There has to be someone here."

"If there were, we'd have to cover a lot of ground in order to find them." Mickey said. "Maybe if we were to split up into pairs, we might cover more ground a lot quicker."

"Split up?" Donald said.

"Yes. If we split up, that'll save a lot of time."-

"But what if we run into that ninja?" Goofy asked.

"That must be a risk we should be willing to take."-

"Mickey has a point." Riku said. "If we split up, we'll be able to find whoever it is we're looking for."

"Then it's settled." Mickey said. "Riku and Sora will head down that corridor on the right. Donald, Goofy and I will take that one in the middle."

"Wait you guys!" Sora said. "Do you heat that?"

The party stayed silent to hear what sounded like running feet approaching them. It was soon thereafter that two figures appeared out of the center corridor. It was a young boy and girl. The boy was dressed rather plainly, with a raggedy cover, slightly dirty pants covered in soot, and a reddish shirt. On top his head, a head band with two horns sticking out of the cloth. The girl he led by the hand was a glowing white, like new fallen snow. They came rushing out of the corridor in such a fast pace.

"Hey kid!" Riku shouted. The boy suddenly saw the KH team and gazed at them for a second, or two before he began to run again. He was armed with what looked like a primitive mace. He and the girl ran behind the KH group and hid, as if hoping to seek shelter.

"Please help us." The boy said. "Please stop the shadows."

"Shadows?" Sora asked. The KH group looked through the corridor to which the boy and girl had run out from. They saw glowing eyes appear in the darkness of the shadows and suddenly, those dark figures appeared, confronting the KH team.

"Heartless!" they cried.

"But how can that be!" Donald said.

"It doesn't matter!" Mickey replied. "Let's take them out!"

"Get ready!" Sora ordered. They drew their weapons and prepared to take on the impact of the shadows. The shadows attacked into the thick of the KH team. Combat ensued between the KH team and the attacking shadows. But as soon as the attack commenced, it died down as the shadows were easily dispensed with. Mickey, Goofy, and Donald took out their attackers on each walk way and the KH group began to spread out taking out hordes of shadows.

"Where the heck are all these guys coming from?" Donald asked.

"Don't ask any questions!" Mickey shouted. "We have to fight them off right now!"

"Don't give up!" Goofy cried, deploying his tornado spin, taking out ten shadows at once. Sora stayed near the boy and girl, hoping to defend them from any attacker. The boy at the same time swung his mace about, attempting to defend his female companion. The young girl could only stay behind her defender. But the shadows increased in numbers, suddenly appearing through open portals and attacking from behind.

"Some one help!" the boy cried.

"Zeke! Come out!" shouted Sora, thrusting his sword into the air. From the sharpened steel, a bright flash of light appeared and out came the faithful organoid. Sora jumped onto the back of the silver dragon. "Take out those shadows!"

Zeke roared and made rush attacks against the oncoming hordes of shadows. With a single rush, the organoid managed to knock down a dozen shadows in one attack. At the same time, Sora dispatched elemental attacks upon the shadows. Using his Tundra Canister technique, he was able to eliminate entire waves of shadows. Fighting slowly diminished as the KH team gained more ground and the shadows began to withdraw. Eventually, the courtyard went into silence as the last shadow was eliminated.

"Where the heck did all those things come from?" Mickey asked.

"Were they Heartless?" asked Donald.

"They were not Heartless, I'm relieved to say." Riku uttered. "They were more like ghouls, or some other type of shadow. The reason is because the Heartless aren't so easy to take down as that. And most Heartless classes are not completely dark like those shadows we just fought.

"They are the minions of the Shadow Queen." the boy explained. The KH team turned their attention toward him and the young girl.

"Shadow Queen?" Sora asked.

"Yes. She is the master of this castle. Those things we fought off are wraiths in here army of souls and shadows."-

"Why were they after you?"-

"It's Yorda she wants."-

"Yorda?" Goofy asked.

"Princess Yorda. That's the name of this young girl."-

"Why does the queen want her?"-

"The queen's body grows fragile with every passing day. Eventually, she will need to replenish her body by inhabiting the body of another. That is why she wants Yorda. So she may be able to reincarnate herself within a younger form. That is why she keeps her captive here. Her own daughter. But I have vowed to help Yorda and save here from this place."-

"So that is why the queen is so desperate to retrieve her!" a voice suddenly shouted. The party looked up to see a lone figure standing atop the highest tower. A cloaked figure in black. "So nice to see you again, boy! You thought that you could elude me so easily?" The figure jumped down and landed just before the group. It was a woman cloaked in black and dressed in dark purple battle wear consisting of shoulder armor and wrist guards. Her hear was black with a streak of white running on the left side of her head. Her complexion was dark and her eyes a fiery green. A slim, sleek individual she was, armed with a red staff. She stood before the group, smirking slightly.

"It's you again." the boy said. He lifted his mace as if ready to attack.

"I won't let you get away." she uttered. It was then that she laid eyes on the KH team. "Oh, so you guys made it too, eh?"

"Are you Madam Caesar of the Cavendish Shinobis?" Sora asked, drawing out his sword.

"So, you've hear about me, eh? I certainly hear about you, Sora."-

"You know who I am?"-

"There isn't an Imperial throughout the Empire who's never heard of you before. You're reputation for fighting my fellow shinobis has proceeded you. However, I never would have guessed that you would make it this far. By your presence, you must've already defeated Osiris. Not surprising though. That kid was a rookie and he could never fully rid himself of his humanity." She drew out her bo. "I reckon I'm the next challenge for you. But this is as far as you go."

"You're not the first one to give us that line." Riku said. "All the others said that we wouldn't proceed beyond them. And this is the result."

"You must be Sora's boyhood friend, Riku. I understand that you're the more reckless of the two. Always trying to be the first in line."-

"We know what you're here after, Caesar. And we can't let you do that. Besides, there's a little something you have that we want."-

"You mean this?" Caesar pulled out what looked like another information disk. "If you want it, you're gonna have to pry from my cold, dead fingers."

"If that's what you desire, then I have no other choice." Riku pulled out his blade. "Stand and fight." He turned to Sora and the others. "Sheath your weapons. This fight is strictly between me and her." Sora and the others backed off, leaving Riku to go head to head with the next shinobi alone.

"Attempting to fight me alone was a huge mistake! I don't go down that easily!"-

Caesar lunged forward with the bo, causing a thrusting movement into Riku's chest. But Riku predicted the attack and moved out of the way. He retaliated with a sudden death slash, attempting to cut her head off. But the shinobi ducked, evading the blade. She swung the staff beneath her and wept Riku off his feet. Riku tumbled over, but managed to catch himself on his left and stood up again. The two attacked and engaged in grappling that was described as literally impossible. Every close hit was countered with a tight turn. The fight itself lasted for three minutes.

"That's incredible." the boy uttered. "I've never seen anyone fight like that before."

"This in nothing." Sora explained. "You should see what Riku looks like when he takes the fight seriously."

The fight suddenly halted between the two combatants. Each still not out of breath, each still as focused as ever before.

"You're not bad, Kid." Caesar chuckled.

"I can say the same for you." Riku uttered. "You had me on my toes all the time."

"Don't give me that. This isn't close to the power you used against the other shinobis. If you managed to take down Anubis, the master of fire, all by yourself, then I know you're someone to reckon with. He and I were just about equal. But unlike him, I'm not as impatient. And I don't have to use my spirit energy in order to accumulate my element."-

Suddenly, several pieces of masonry cracked from the walls and formed themselves into sharpened projectiles. They hovered next to Caesar and formed themselves into columns.

"Let's see how you enjoy this little technique of mine, which I have christened the named Sediment Shurikens." Caesar chuckled. She thrust her finger forward, pointing at Riku. Immediately, one of the shards rushed forth against Riku. Riku however saw the object approaching and used his sword to cut the projectile in half. "Not bad, Riku. Not bad, but not good enough." Suddenly seven shards came rushing forth. Riku dodged four of the shards while he cut the other three in half. The shards rebounded and dared to strike at Riku again, but the key bearer eluded the shards again and struck the remaining objects down.

"Is that all you've got?" Riku asked. "You don't have what it takes to defeat me then."

"You go ahead and boast yourself, kid." Caesar chuckled. "It's only the tip of the iceberg." It was then that the other shurikens rushed in to strike. Riku dodged as best he could, but a lone shard managed to graze his arm, splitting the think fabric of his coat.

"That's not good." Riku uttered. "Dodge rolling and blocking won't be enough. Maybe it's time I try that new technique achieved in the 'Treasure Realm.'"

Riku began to accumulate his energy. He thrust forth his hand and deployed the Hurricane Slash. The strong winds blew the shurikens away as if they were nothing. The shurikens lodged themselves into the walls of the castle. One of the masonry blades actually grazed Caesar across the left cheek, causing blood to trickle from the wound.

"You'll pay for that!" she shouted. Suddenly, a large masonry block began to hover in the air. "Try and stop this one! Granite Buster!" The massive block came rushing at Riku. Riku used the Hurricane Slash at maximum power and the strong winds cut the massive block to bits. But despite the effort, the block was too big for the Riku's attack to have full effect. Riku could only watch as the block continued to draw nearer.

"Riku!" cried Sora. He jumped in front of Riku. "Riku, I'll help you!" Sora began to accumulate his energy. "Tornado Strike!" A sudden twister appeared and caught the massive block in mid air. The block spun around in the vortex of the twister and was thrown against the wall of the castle, lodging itself into the stone.

"Thanks Sora." Riku uttered.

"Are you OK?"-

"I've been better."-

"Very clever." said Caesar. "But don't think this is over. I still have two young whelps to retrieve!" She pointed at the boy and Princess Yorda. "So back off!"

"You wanna get to them," Sora said, "You'll have to go through us first!"

"This isn't over yet!" With that Caesar disappeared amongst the high towers and massive walls of the castle.

Riku and Sora sheathed their swords.

"Wow." Mickey said. "That was incredible."

"When did you learn those attacks?" Donald asked.

"We picked up those attacks in the 'Treasure Realm.'" Sora replied. "Compliments of Osiris."

The boy, along with the glowing white princess approached the KH team.

"Thank you very much." he uttered.

"Do you have a name, kid?" Riku asked.

"Ico. My name is Ico." The kid replied.

"What was Caesar after you for?" Sora asked.

"I don't know. She says she was looking for the rune sword that opens the passages to this castle. Unfortunately, I forget where it is. However, that woman is the last thing on my mind. It's the queen who worries me."

"The one who's after Yorda?"-

"Yes. But I can't let the queen have her way. She can't just imprison someone against their will when they haven't done anything wrong." There was a sudden silence before Ico continued talking. "By the way, you never told me why you guys are here."

"We're here for Caesar." Riku explained. "She contains information that will help us find a friend of ours who's also being confined against her will. And like you, Ico, we have an obligation to help her."

"That's great. Then, maybe we can help each other. If you can help me defeat the shadow queen, then I can help you defeat Caesar."-

"It's a deal!" said Sora. Thus a compact was made between Ico and the KH team. They would help each other in their time of need.

Meanwhile, in the grand throne room of the castle, the shadow queen waited patiently for the outcome of her minion's labor. She sat on the throne with her head bent on her palm, sitting in a bored fashion.

"When will that ninja return with Yorda." she wondered. It was then that the shinobi returned, descending from the ceiling, out of thin air. The queen stood up as the ninja kneeled. "Well, where is my daughter? Where's Yorda!"

"I could not retrieve her." Caesar replied.

"Is that so? You said that you could handle this without any problems! Is that boy Ico proving to be more than what you've bargained for? If so, then you are useless to me. I could easily dispense with that boy if I wanted to."-

"It's not Ico that's the problem. Apparently, he has gained a new ally."-

"A new ally?"-

"Remember when I told you that I had to fulfill my mission before trouble came from another world to stop me? Well, that trouble came sooner than anticipated." Caesar explained. "It's the two key bearers, Riku and Sora."

"I'm sure you'll be able to handle them." the shadow queen replied. "They should be no more difficult than Ico."

"That's where you're wrong. They are more powerful than you think. Why do you think I have returned empty handed? If they weren't that much of a threat, I would've been able to capture Yorda for you and I would have been able to seek out the rune sword from Ico."-

"Don't worry about it." the queen chuckled. "You forget that I have my own ways of dealing with pest." The queen looked upon tapestries that waved in the air, just next to the entry way of the throne room. With her energy, she caused a wave of energy to rush forward. The energy struck the cloth of the tapestries, and instantly the cloth had turned to stone. "I could easily deploy an attack that can affect everything within a 360 degree angle, turning them into stone within an instant. Thus, I am untouchable."

"So you have no weakness then."-

"I only have one weakness and that is the rune sword, which is used to open up certain passages and to dispense with wraiths and ghouls permanently. It is the one weapon that can deflect my attacks and cause bodily harm to my being. If Ico or those key bearers you spoke of were to get their hands on such a weapon, then they would prove to be an even greater threat to me."

"Is that why the Empire wants the power of such a sword?" Caesar thought to herself. "I can see why." There was silence between the two before Caesar began to speak again. "I don't think Ico intends to fight you. It seems he's only concerned with getting Yorda out of this castle. And with the help of those key bearers, they may actually succeed."

"But I won't allow my daughter to escape. And with this situation in view, perhaps things can work for both of us. Ico doesn't know that the rune sword is my weakness, but I'll soon tell him."-

"But wouldn't that be giving him the edge. He would know about your weakness and use that against you."-

"That's where my plan will come into effect." The queen began to explain the detail of her plan. "First, I will confront Ico and his friends. Without the rune sword, they can't hope to hinder me. Perhaps my legions will fall, but not me. After a brief skirmish, when they are weary from battle, you will swoop in and take Yorda. That way, Ico has no choice but to go after her. Once I tell him of my one weakness, he will scour the castle looking for the sword. When he finally finds it, then you can take it from him. Thus, you would have gained the sword and I would have retrieved my daughter."

"An excellent plan." Caesar uttered. "With this strategy, we'll be able to do away with Ico and the two key bearers in one strike."

"Then let us be off and give our friends a visit." The shadow queen walked to the center of the room. "Come forth ghouls, spirits, and wraiths! Go and do away with Ico and his companions! Retrieve Yorda and bring her to the throne room!" shadows suddenly appeared from out of the walls in incredible numbers. They then disappeared again and went in search of Ico's party.

Meanwhile, the KH team accompanied Ico into the depths of the castle. Still wandering about, they looked up at the majesty of the castle's high walls. Through Sora's mind, thoughts of ancient gatherings in such an ancient structure flowed through his imagination.

"Do you know where you're going?" Riku asked.

"We're heading to the west wing." Ico explained. "I must adjust the west reflector their. The reflector activates the draw bridge there."

"I can't believe how big this place is." Goofy said. "Is this an old fortress, or something?"

"I don't know. All I know about this place is that it's where boys like me are confined."-

"Why's that?" Sora asked. "What's wrong with you?"

"I was born with horns."-

"What!" The KH team shouted.

"You mean that isn't a head dress?" Mickey asked.

"Are you surprised? All boys born with horns are sent here as a sacrifice."-

"But why?" asked Donald.

"Every generation, my village experiences a birth such as mine. When a boy is born with horns, he is looked on as a curse. If a plague, or famine, or crop failure, occurs, the child is usually the one blamed for causing it. Thus, when reaching his twelfth birthday, he would be sent here and confined in a large stone pod. He would eventually die of starvation and thirst. I however, couldn't allow myself to meet such a fate. Besides, I felt Yorda's presence. And I needed to help her, so death was not an option for me."-

"How'd you escape from your pod?"-

"I was lucky to be placed in a pod where the ground was cracking from under it. When I shook it violently, I managed to jar it loose off its foundation and the pod opened up when it fell on its side. That was more than just luck it was more like a miracle. I'm sure others tried to escape, but could not shake free of their confinement."-

"Guys!" Sora said. The party looked to see shadows appear out of the walls.

"The shadow queens minions again!" Riku said.

"Fight them!" Mickey cried. The KH team began to fight the shadows, taking out the minions by the scores. But as soon as they had cut down several shadows, more would take their place. For five minutes, the KH team used every technique they knew to fight off the shadows. But like an endless cycle, the shadows continued to move in by the dozen.

"There are too many of them!" Donald said.

"We won't last here!" added Goofy.

"Make a break for the main gate!"-

"What would the point be, the main gate is locked shut!" Ico replied.

"No it wasn't." Riku said. "The gates were wide open."

"Why didn't you guys mention this before!"-

"We thought you knew about the gate being open!" Sora added. "We figured you were looking for something else!"

"Well, let's make a break for the main gate then!"-

The party began to run from the shadows and made for the main gate. Through the corridor, down the courtyard and to the main gate.

"Let's get on board the gummi ship!" Mickey instructed. But as they neared the Leviathan, they realized that the gummi ship had been struck by pieces of masonry. The hull had been pierced through by shards of stone and rock.

"Blast!" Sora said. "This must be Caesar's doing!"

"Here they come!" Goofy cried. The team looked behind them to see legions of shadows rushing through the courtyard doors. The group eventually found themselves surrounded by shadows.

"I'll show you!" Sora prepared to deploy one of his major attacks.

"Sora, don't." Riku said.

"But Riku…"-

"You know as well as I that won't get rid of them for long."-

"You are right there." a voice uttered. From the ranks of shadows, the shadow queen emerged.

"You must be the shadow queen."-

"And you must be the ones Caesar was talking about." She then turned to Ico. "Such a pity that you had come so far, only to fail in the end. I'll be taking my daughter back if you don't mind."

"No!" Ico replied. "I'm getting Yorda out of here whether you like it, or not!" He gripped his mace.

"No use trying to resist. You cannot hinder me with such mortal weapons, as you cannot hinder my minions with such mortal weapons. They only revive themselves and are back on the attack. That is why it seems there are more than you had expected."-

"You better listen to the queen." Another voice sounded. The KH group looked to find Caesar standing just a few feet away. "If you value your lives, hand over the girl."

"Sorry!" said Sora. "We'd love to! But that just isn't an option for us right now!" Sora thrust up his blade and deployed the Stopga spell, temporarily paralyzing the minions and even the queen herself.

"What in the…" the queen uttered. Sora summoned Zeke and the silver organoid appeared before the group.

"Zeke! Get Yorda out of here!" The organoid took hold of Yorda and threw her on his back. Then, in a bright flash of light, the organoid flew to the far shore, overlooking the castle.

"No!" roared the queen.

"Let's make a break for it!" Riku shouted. He deployed a gust from the Hurricane Slash and caused the dark forces to be juggled about in the air. The team made a run for it.

"What about Yorda?" Ico asked.

"She'll be fine." Sora replied. "She has Zeke with her." The six ran to the gates, hoping to cross the draw bridge, only to find out that there was no draw bridge.

"What, no bridge!" Sora said.

"What'll we do now!" Goofy uttered.

"You guys remember how to glide right?" Riku asked.

"What does that have to do with anything?" Donald asked.

Riku asked no question but jumped off the Cliffside. He glided down with great ease.

"No time to waste!" Sora said. He picked up Ico and flew off the Cliffside too.

"Well, let's go!" Mickey said. He Donald and Goofy made ready to take off, until suddenly the queen appeared before them.

"You will not be going anywhere!" she roared. Her energy began to flow.

"That's not good." Caesar said. Taking a slab of granite under her feet, she accumulated her energy, and levitated herself from the scene hastily. Mickey, Donald, and Goofy were obstructed of their escape. With a sudden blast of her energy, she turned the three into stone. Riku and Sora looked behind them, in time to see the event take place. There was a sudden flash of darkness and there stood Goofy, Donald, and Mickey like stone statues.

"Mickey! Donald! Goofy!" cried Sora. Their friends had been captured by the shadow queen.


	5. Unlikely Ally

Unlikely Ally

The shadow queen could only watch as Riku and Sora disappeared into the distance. She turned with a smirk, gazing at the frozen images of Goofy, Donald, and Mickey. Caesar returned and landed by the queen's side.

"That was a little much." she uttered.

"Take these three back to the throne room." The queen ordered. "Things have turned out better than expected. Now, those two key bearers have no choice, but to come back for their friends. And as long as I am alive, their friends will remain petrified in stone."

"But Yorda still got away and they have not yet found out about the rune sword."-

"Then, we'll just have to wait for now."-

"What do you mean?"-

"Your two enemies, Riku and Sora will have to come back for their friends, right? Well, when they arrive, they will have to do battle with me. They will wish to have their friends restored to life, but in order to break the spell, they will have to destroy me first. But the chances of that actually happening are slim. They will need to retrieve the rune sword in order to defeat me. Once I tell them that's my weakness, they will scour throughout the castle looking for the sword. That is when you will follow them until they do find the sword. Once they retrieve the sword, that's when you take it from them. So it all boggles down to you, Caesar. It is up to you to take the sword from them."-

"That I will do. And in return I shall retrieve the girl and bring her to you."-

"Excellent." The queen began to head back into the castle. "Then we must get ready for our guest to arrive." Caesar chuckled and levitated the three statues. Guiding them precisely, she brought the four statues back into the castle.

Meanwhile, Riku and Sora, along with Ico made it to the opposite shore. The sand was bright as it reflected the rays of the sun from off its surface. Yorda and Zeke came running to where the three landed.

"Glad to see that you two are alright." Ico uttered. Yorda smiled and nodded. Sora set Ico down and the young boy ran to his friend. Sora walked to where the waves crashed upon the beach. He fell to his knees.

"It can't be!" Sora said, falling upon his elbows. "Goofy! Donald! Mickey! They've been turned to stone!"

"That is the one technique used by the shadow queen." Ico explained. "She turns them to stone by using her dark energy."

"Isn't there something that we can do for them?"-

"There is only one way to restore them and that is to kill the shadow queen."-

"But you heard what she said." Riku added. "No mortal weapon can hinder her." There was a silence amongst the group.

"There is one way." A voice suddenly uttered. The group looked to see who spoke. It was then that they turned to the timid young princess.

"Yorda?" Ico asked. "You spoke in our language."

"I didn't even think she could speak." Sora added.

"In order to kill the queen, you must use the rune sword." Yorda said. "Only the rune sword can hinder the queen and diminish her into the shadow realm forever."

"Are you talking about the sword my captors used to open the rune doors to the castle?" Ico asked.

"Yes. The rune sword has the ability to diminish enemies, soul and all. Anyone who obtains the power of the rune sword will be able to do away with all supernatural foes, living, dead, mortal, or immortal."-

"The rune sword?" Sora asked. "Isn't that what Caesar is after, Riku?"

"Yes." Riku replied. "That sword has the ability to smite any foe. And since it can do away with souls as well as the living being, the enemy confronted by the sword faces becoming nonexistent. That's why the Empire wants that sword. If they manage to capture the rune sword and analyze its power, they could mass produce them in large quantities and equip all the Imperial forces with them. That means that nothing could stand in the way of the Imperial threat."

"Yorda? Where is this sword kept?"-

"It is kept in the jetty, where Ico's captors first entered." Yorda explained.

"Then, let's get to the jetty."-

"Hah! Do you fools think that you'll succeed as you are now!" a voice suddenly thundered. The team looked to see a familiar figure sitting on a rock.

"It's Lu Bu!" Riku and Sora shouted.

"Pathetic insects. Even if you do manage to retrieve the sword, do you think the queen, or Caesar will allow you to use it? Caesar is a lot stronger than you think. The first battle you engaged in was only a side show. What she displayed is nothing compared to what she really accumulates in battle."-

"And how do you know this?" Riku asked.

"I could feel your energy moving about in there."-

"You know what's going on just by sensing the energy that strays about?" Sora asked.

"Because I have mastered the art of detecting power levels, the battle sequences are as clear as day to me. That's how good I am when it comes to detecting power levels."-

"So why should any of this concern you?" Riku asked. "You're no longer with the Imperial forces."

"I just want to make sure that nobody else kills you before me. Remember, you and I have a rematch to settle."-

"You can sense power levels can't you? Then, can't you determine who'll win without having to fight."-

"I wouldn't know who'll win, kid. As far as I can see, our power levels are equal."-

"So does this mean you plan on joining with us?" Sora asked.

"Don't get the wrong idea, kid! I'm not gonna jump to the rescue every time you need it! But I just want to show these fools how powerful I really am! And fighting against masses of shadows and spirits is the perfect way for me to test out my full strength."-

"We've seen your full strength." Riku said. "What do you plan to show off?"

"The reason for your sudden victory was because I wasn't focused well enough. Besides, I thought I could beat you with my present level of strength."-

"OK! That's enough you two!" Sora interrupted. "If we stay here yapping at each other, we won't get anything accomplished! I don't know if you recollect, but Goofy, Mickey, and Donald have been turned to stone and are being confined by the evil queen!"

"Sora's right." Riku added. "Our match can wait! We have more important things to sort out right now."

"Very well." said Lu Bu. "Then, we'll form a temporary alliance! Besides, I'm more than enough to fill the shoes of those three idiot friends of yours!"

"Then let's get going." Sora said. He turned to Zeke. "Are you ready to blast us to the jetty, Zeke?" Zeke nodded his head and growled. "Then let's go."

"Wait!" Lu Bu interrupted. "I've been amongst the Cavendish Shinobis and I can tell you that Caesar can detect power levels just as well as I can. And that silver dragon friend of yours, when he decides to light his rockets, he'll accumulate enough energy to attract Caesar like a beacon. The best course of action is to use the elements of surprise and attack them without warning."

"Then how do you expect us to get to the castle? Swim all the way!"-

"If you spent more time looking about rather than making sarcastic remarks, you would have realized that!" Lu Bu pointed to what looked like a series of boats tied up at an old wooden dock.

"That's where we first began our trek to the castle." Ico said. "We went by boat."

"And boats don't give out large amounts of energy. So taking the boat will be the best way to transport ourselves to the fortress."-

"Then, we'll do that." Sora said. Sora turned to Ico. "Ico, I want you and Yorda to stay here, far from the queen's reach. Riku, Lu Bu, and I will handle the situation by ourselves."

"No, you can't, Sora." Ico protested. "I too have a mission to fulfill. I have to take out the queen."

"That's out of the question, kid. If you went with us, you would have to bring Yorda along as well. Then, without a doubt, the queen will try an attempt to capture her again. At the same time, we can't leave her alone by herself. That's why I want you to stay behind, so you can look after her."-

"I'm going with you. Yorda can stay here. I know she'll be alright. Besides, you guys don't even know your way around the castle."-

"He has a point, Sora." Riku explained. "Ico knows more about the castle than we do. His guidance would prove valuable to us."

"But what about Yorda?" Sora suddenly got an idea. He turned to Zeke. "Hey, Zeke, you think you can look out for Yorda while we're away?" Zeke growled and nodded. "Thanks Zeke." Sora turned to Ico. "OK Ico, you're in."

"Thanks, Sora." Ico said, gratefully.

"If you three idiots are finished, may we get going!" Lu Bu said. He began his walk towards the wooden dock which lay half a mile away from where they stood.

"Let's go, you two." Riku added. Ico looked behind him to see Zeke and Yorda waving good bye.

"You take care of yourself, Yorda." Ico said.

"You too." Yorda replied.

The three made it to the dock within fifteen minutes. They untied a boat and began rowing to the jetty. The sun was bright and birds chirped about, flying from the castle to the shore, back and forth. Lu Bu stirred the boat towards an opening under the castle.

"So all we have to do is find that sword." Lu Bu said.

"One thing Lu Bu," Sora asked, "what's in it for you? I know you wouldn't be going out of your way just to help us without expecting some sort of compensation."

"I'm just like a closed book, Sora. I'm hard to predict."-

"Then, haw do we know we can trust you?" Riku said. "We're trying to retrieve a blade capable of killing both the living and the dead. How do we know you won't try and take that blade for yourself and attempt to use it against us?"

"Two reasons why!" Lu Bu began to explain. "One, even if I wanted to use that weapon against you, I too am still mortal. And a mortal user is just as vulnerable as the foe he uses the sword against. Deprive the user of the sword and he's just another helpless maggot. And two, when I fight, I want my opponent to be entirely fair when it comes to fighting me. I want my opponents to give it their all in battle. Just like you did on the 'Treasure Realm.' Otherwise, I would never consider myself the strongest man alive if I can't use my strength and cunning alone to defeat my enemies. Besides, the rune sword is just another weapon and can't be any more than that."

"He does have a point, Riku." Sora said. "Lu Bu may be vicious and coldhearted, but engaging in a fair battle is the one thing he's good at." Riku only folded his arms in front of him and looked away.

The boat eventually landed on the shore within a deep cavern. Fallen pillars laid about. Ico jumped out of the boat and began to run up a narrow pathway located on the right of the way they came in.

"It's over here!" Ico said, running. "Hurry, Hurry!" The three followed the young boy. Ico ran a hundred yards before reaching an old stone alter. There, placed upon the alter was a sheathed, broad sword. Ico picked it up with both hands. "This must be it." Ico was prepared to unsheathe it until Lu Bu stopped him.

"Wait a minute there!" he said, with that harsh, brutal voice of his. "Just what do you think you're doing? I can feel an extraordinary amount of energy accumulating from that blade."

"You're telling me." Riku said. "I can feel that immense energy too."

"How could you not detect that energy?" added Sora.

"Remember how I told you that Caesar knows how to sense energy?" Lu Bu continued. "The minute you unsheathe that sword, she'll know our precise location and will be coming after us like a bloodhound."

"Then what do suppose we do?" Riku asked. "We're gonna have to fight her sooner, or later."

"Riku's got a point." Sora added.

"Even if we did have the element of surprise in out favor, we might end up fighting Caesar, the queen, and all of her shadow minions all at the same time."-

"That leads to another problem." Ico said. "The queen has a super attack where she deploys all of her dark energy in a 360 degree angle. Everything the dark energy touches turns to stone."

"And…?" Riku asked.

"When she deployed that attack, everything turned to stone. I would have been turned to stone too if it wasn't for one of those rune, stone pillars that guard the doors of certain passages. It is the same energy that accumulates in Yorda. It is the only thing that stands up to the dark energy of the queen and acts as a protective shield for anyone who stands behind it."-

"What are you trying to say?"-

"Well, I'm armed with the rune sword, but the rest of you have ordinary weapons. They couldn't possibly protect you."-

"He has a point, Riku." Sora said. "The rune sword might be able to give Ico the slight advantage, but we're still stuck with average weapons. We'd be sitting ducks to such a wide spread attack."

"Then, what do you propose we do?" Riku asked.

"That can easily be resolved." Lu Bu chuckled. "You just need the right equipment." He pulled from a pocket, underneath his shoulder armor, four ringlets, three of silver and one of gold. He handed two of the silver rings to Riku and Sora and gave the gold one to Ico.

"What are these?" Sora asked.

"These are compliments of the Dark Empire." Lu Bu explained. "They are called simulation rings. They are designed to resonate the energy of one source to affect other outside sources. The gold ring is meant for the primary source of energy. Once Ico latches that ring onto the hilt of the rune sword, it will begin the process of spreading its energy to other beacons. The silver rings, which we three have attracts the primary, resonating energy and allows our own weapons to simulate the same energy signature as the rune sword. In other words, our ordinary weapons will have the same magic power as the rune sword itself."-

"Tell me," Riku said, "Are these rings limited to a certain number."

"The Empire constructed these rings so that all weapons can simulate the energy of a single primary source without the primary source of energy being drained of its own potency. An unlimited number of secondary sources can be affected without complications."

"So that's how the Empire plans to spread the power of this one sword amongst its endless ranks. By using these rings, not only do they save income on weapons manufacturing, but they can also use that kind of linkage on any type of weapon they desire."-

"We can't allow the Empire to get its greedy hands on the sword and allow them to wreak havoc on all other worlds." Sora said.

"That's why we have to stop them here and now!"-

"If that's the case," Lu Bu uttered. He slapped the ring onto the staff of his Maelstrom, "then let's fight them here!"

Sora and Riku slapped their rings onto the hilts of their swords.

"Unsheathe your swords!" Lu Bu instructed and the two key bearers followed as ordered. They then looked to Ico who placed the gold ring onto the hilt of his sword. As soon as he had done that, Riku and Sora's blades as well as Lu Bu's halberd began to resonate. Ico unsheathed his sword and it glowed as magnificently as the others.

Their energy did not go unnoticed. Caesar felt the sudden surge of energy.

"They're here." she uttered.

"Are you sure?" The queen asked, sitting on her throne. She smirked and waved her hand. "Go then and finish them! Take the sword, then go and retrieve the girl!"

"But will you not fight them yourself?"-

"It is not my place to do the work of a hired assassin. That's your job."-

"As you wish." With that, Caesar went off towards the resonating source of energy. The queen sat down in her throne and rested her head on her right hand.

"Soon, Yorda will be in my possession again and I can soon rejuvenate myself into the body of a younger being."-

Lu Bu felt the energy approaching.

"She's on her way!" he uttered to himself. Before long, he felt the energy of Caesar coming closer and closer until she stood at the entry way of the jetty.

"So, I finally caught you at last." she chuckled. "Thought you could sneak by unnoticed, eh? Well, your little attempt to take us by surprise has failed."

"Actually, we intended to lure you here." Lu Bu turned to face Caesar and the shinobi suddenly filled with a terrible fear.

"Lu Bu! What're you doing here! You're dead! You're supposed to be dead!"-

"Do I look dead to you!"-

"Have you come to help me!"-

"And what gave you that idea!" Lu Bu began to laugh. "I'm dead, remember? Dead as far as the Empire is concerned."

"You…you betrayed us!"-

"And what do you intend to do about it!"-

"I'll fight you! That's what I'll do!"-

Lu Bu took a step towards the shinobi.

"You are one of the deadliest of the Cavendish Shinobis. But even so, to me you're nothing, but a peon."-

"I'll fight you then!"-

"Give it a try then."-

"Wait, Lu Bu!" Riku interrupted. "This fight is between her and us!" Sora stepped forward.

"Get back, you two idiots! You don't stand a chance against her!"-

"But she has something that we must have. We need you to help Ico. I'm sure you'll end up facing those countless minions if you keep going."-

Lu Bu smiled.

"Very well, Riku." He uttered. "You and your friend may fight her. But don't get killed in the process."

"I don't intend on dying." Riku and Sora drew their blades. "Now help Ico get to the shadow queen. We'll handle it from here."

"So be it." Lu Bu then swooped up Ico and ran to through a small passage left of the jetty. "Come on kid. Babysitting time!"

Riku and Sora stood ready to fight.

"For a moment there, I thought I was in trouble." Caesar said. "Thank goodness for the downgrade. Taking out you two should be easy enough."

"Hey, Riku," Sora asked, "How come our swords aren't glowing? And how come our new energy isn't resonating."

"Ico must still have his blade sheathed." Riku explained. "That's the only explanation. It must be a form of safety, in case any stray blades fall into the hands of the enemy. Don't worry though, Sora. Ico plans on confronting the shadow queen, so he'll have to unsheathe it sooner, or later."

"Well! Shall we begin gentlemen!" Caesar chuckled. She stood ready with her staff in hand, taking her guard. "And just to make things more interesting…" She raised up her right hand. Suddenly, from out of the rock of the jetty's walls, large spikes began to form. They encircled all over the walls and the ceiling. "Just to confine your freedom of movement."

"Well, let's get this over with." said Sora.

"Don't worry, it'll be over before you know it."-

She suddenly came at the two and began swiping at them with the staff. The three began to engage in hand to hand combat, striking and dodging as they went. The skill used in such a grapple was unmatched by anything seen before. With such ferocity and yet with such grace, the combatants moved with such agility, avoiding sudden thrust in such tight turns.

"I can see we're on equal level with each other when it comes to using weapons alone," said Caesar," "but how good are you when it comes to this!" She began to develop shurikens from the rock, chipping them off the rocky walls and levitating them in mid air. "Now give this a whirl!" The shurikens suddenly attacked with ferocious speed, in a flock. The two key bearers dodged the shurikens and struck several of them down.

"Not this attack again." Riku said. "Is that the best you have!"

"Not even close!" Suddenly, blocks of rock and dirt came flying from out of the walls and attacking from all directions. "Not good enough! Well, let's see you dodge this!" The rubble was broken into smaller, finer pieces and transformed into a sand like texture. The debris began to whirl about the two heroes like a storm.

"What is she trying to do?" Sora asked. Suddenly, he felt a sharp pain pass his cheek, then another cut his shoulder. Sora cried out.

"Are you alright, Sora?" Riku asked.

"What happened?" he uttered. He wiped his cheek and found blood was trickling down his face. "I've been cut."

"It's the shurikens. She's hiding their movement with the debris. We can't see where they are precisely with this heavy blanket of debris blocking our vision."-

"What's the matter, boys?" Caesar asked. "You hit your limits already. Not that it's of any surprise to me."

"You are a fool!" Riku said. "Have you forgotten that we have our own abilities!" He accumulated his energy and deployed the Hurricane Slash. Instantly, the debris and the shurikens were blown away from the sudden winds. Caesar watched in horror as the shurikens were diminished. One of the shurikens flew by her and cut her right cheek this time.

"You fools! How dare you!"-

"Looks like you underestimated us again."-

"Don't get cocky, Riku! This is just the beginning!" a slab of stone broke from beneath her and levitated her into the air. "Now let's see how you enjoy this type of fighting! She swooped down from the air on her levitated platform and attacked the two. She struck at the two knocking them of their feet. Instantly, the two jumped back to face their nemesis again.

"Try this on for size!" Riku shouted. "Cinder Canister!" Immediately, several fire balls formed around Riku and in a group, he deployed them.

"Idiot. You think you can defeat me with that attack in this sort of environment!" Caesar suddenly raised her hands and a wall of rock rose up to shield her. The fire balls instantaneously struck at the wall. The wall itself was only charred. "You see, even your elemental attacks are rendered useless here. I can form shields out of the rubble, to protect me! At the same time…!" She broke off the wall and sent it flying towards the two youths. "At the same time, I can counterattack without pause! Granite Buster!" The giant object neared closer and closer.

"Hurricane Slash!" Riku deployed his wind attack again cutting away at the rock, but still, it was too big even for his attack.

"Defense, Riku!" Sora shouted and deployed the Aeroga spell on both of them. The now tattered rock made impact, knocking them off their feet, but the Aeroga spell protected them successfully. "That was close!"

"Why those two little maggots!" Caesar said, gritting her teeth angrily. "They're stronger than I gave them credit for. If this keeps up, they may actually defeat me. No, I won't have that! I will defeat them here and now before I use up anymore of my energy."

Meanwhile, Lu Bu and Ico had opened the mystic doors which lead to an old lift. Taking the lift to the upper levels, they entered the grand chamber. Exiting out of the elevator, they climbed up a series of stairs to the main floor of the chamber.

"What is this place?" Lu Bu asked.

"This is the sacrificial chamber." Ico replied. "You see those pods around the room?" Lu Bu gazed to find every corner of the chamber covered with giant, stone structures. "Those are where boys with horns, much like myself are placed in to die."

"So, you just allow yourself to die in such a pathetic fashion? If you knew what was good for you, you and your comrades would've rebelled."-

"It was for the better good of my village that we sacrifice ourselves."-

"No! It's just an excuse to kill your pains quicker through death! And someone who thinks that they can end their sorrow through death can only be pathetic! That is why I continue to improve my strength! So I wouldn't have to endure my own weakness!"-

It was then that a sudden whisper began to fill the room. The two looked around to see an army of shadows and spirits slowly emerge from the rock. Even from the sacrificial pods, the souls of horned boys began to appear.

"The queen must've summoned all of her minions to stop us." Ico uttered.

"Excellent." said Lu Bu. "I could use a good fight right now." He turned to Ico. "You hurry up and defeat that queen. I'll take care of business here."

Ico dashed up to the second flight of stairs where the throne room was. Lu Bu stood in the center of the room and allowed himself to be completely surrounded by the shadows.

"You dare stand in my way!" Lu Bu thrust out his Maelstrom halberd before the horde of spirits. "Even an army of the dead must beware a second death!" The spirits were timid to strike at Lu Bu, not knowing what this mighty warrior of the Three Kingdoms was capable of.

At the same time, Ico reached the throne room. When entering, he saw the petrified statues of Mickey, Donald, and Goofy placed before her.

"So boy," the queen uttered, "you've decided to finish this haven't you."

"I have no choice in the matter." Ico replied. "As long as you are around, Yorda will always be a slave to you. You will always come after her and she will always live in fear. That is why I can't allow you to live any further."

"Hah! As if you can do anything to me! Didn't I already mention that no weapon can hurt me?"-

"Oh I know one weapon that might be able to fulfill that!" Ico unsheathed the sword and the blade glimmered brightly with its resonating energy. As soon as the sword was revealed, so was the truth to the fight's outcome. The queen suddenly filled with a great fear.

"Where did you get that?"-

"I found it in the jetty. This was the very sword that gave my captors access to this castle. Now, I will use it to destroy you!"-

"Then go ahead and try! But I won't make the task easy for you!" The queen stood up and formed a strong energy shield around her. "Let's see how you enjoy my super attack!"

"Bring it on!" Ico began to attack at full speed. But now the queen was delivering her dark energy in powerful energy waves. The energy of the sword however protected Ico from being turned into stone.

The minute Ico unsheathed his sword, the effects of the linking rings took effect. In the fight at the jetty, Riku and Sora's blades began to illuminate.

"Riku!" Sora shouted. "Look at this!"

"Ico must've unsheathed his sword." Riku replied. "Excellent."

"What kind of sorcery is this!" Caesar said. "Never mind! A glowing sword doesn't guarantee victory!" Suddenly, the ground began to break beneath their feet and columns of rock burst into the air. Caesar levitated herself on a granite slab. "This time, I go all out!"

"Brace yourself, Sora!" Riku said. Shurikens and sand shields began to form and swirl around in great maelstroms. "She's not holding back this time. She's using every powerful attack she has."

"But why?" Sora asked.

"She must realize by now that she underestimated us completely. So she's making the environment as compact as possible, so we can't use our movement and agility as effectively as we'd like. To add, we won't be able to reach her so long as she's hovering about on that granite slab."-

"What should we do, Riku?"-

"Try to deploy your attacks when the time is right."-


	6. Fall of the Shadow Queen

Fall of the Shadow Queen

The three face off in an epic battle. This time, the shinobi was not about to hold back on anything. Deploying her most devastating techniques, Caesar planned to confine Riku and Sora to the point where they could no longer maneuver effectively. The high step pillars emerged from the ground. While some nearly touching the spiked walls, others barely lifted off the ground. Riku and Sora were caught in the rising tide of stone.

"Now then, let's have some real fun!" Caesar chuckled. She began her run and charged at the two key bearers. First, attacking Sora who managed to climb onto one of the pillars, she knocked him off with her staff. "That's one."

"Sora! Look out!" Riku cried. Sora hit the ground only to be lifted up by another pillar.

"What is she trying to do?" Sora asked.

"Don't you see yet? She knows that our agility is the most effective and that we can fight 100 on open ground. Using these techniques and aerial advantage, she can strike down at us without us knowing. It's best to keep our heads down for the time being."-

"This is getting a little boring!" Caesar suddenly shouted, swooping down again. She knocked the two boys off their pillars, but they managed to regain their stamina, grasping the side of the pillar and leaping back onto its top. "You think it's over!"

"Riku, Watch out!" Sora cried. "They're coming straight at you!"

Riku looked up to see stone shurikens coming at him. He immediately deployed his Hurricane Slash. The shurikens were repelled, but the threat wasn't over as Caesar emerged from behind Riku and hit him on the back. Riku fell off the pillar and fell to the ground.

"Now, to finish the job!" Caesar went flying towards the ground, her staff aimed at Riku's back. She intended to break his spinal chord and paralyze him permanently. But Riku quickly rolled out of the back. The staff's impact caused a small explosion to erupt. Riku drew his sword and struck at Caesar, but the agile ninja used her staff to block his strike. She swerved to the right and kicked Riku in the gut. Riku went flying towards the wall and was about to be impaled upon one of the stone spikes, but Sora emerged from behind him and caught his friend in his arms.

"Are you OK, Riku?" Sora asked.

"I'm alright." Riku replied. "Thanks Sora."

"Oh, you stupid little idiot!" Caesar shouted. "You just had to go and save him from being skewered! You've ruined my fun!"

"We've been going at this the wrong way." Riku uttered. "We have to create a diversion and catch her off guard somehow."

"What did you have in mind?"-

"I have a plan." Riku whispered it silently to Sora, so Caesar couldn't hear the conversation they had.

"You imbeciles dare to mock me!" Caesar roared. "I won't allow you to come up with a plan!" She rushed at them, but the two young men dodged her attack. "You think it's that easy!" The Shurikens came rushing at them.

"You're getting on my nerves!" Sora shouted.

"Get used to it!"-

"Sora!" Riku cried. "Behind you!"

Sora looked behind him and saw the shurikens coming straight at him. He deployed the Firaga spell to stop the shurikens. But as soon as he had deployed the fire, the shurikens were coming straight for him. There was a sudden explosion and Sora went flying to the ground. He tumbled down the pillars, landing on the ground. There, the young key bearer lay motionless.

"Sora!" cried Riku.

"Sora! Sora!" Caesar mocked. "Bah! Do you always have to concern yourself with bastard's fate?"

"You'll pay for that! You'll pay for what you did to Sora!"-

"And how do you plan on stopping me!" She rushed forward and knocked Riku off the pillar. Riku rebounded and managed to leap back onto that same pillar, but again the shinobi attacked him. She flew off her levitating slab of stone and landed on one of the pillars. Riku drew his sword and began to engage in hand to hand combat with Caesar. Amidst the ascending and descending pillars, they fought. Riku dispatched several attacks with his Cinder Canister, but the pillars always acted as a shield, protecting Caesar from harm.

"You idiot!" she chuckled. "Do you really expect that same attack to work on me constantly? You haven't even succeeded once!" She threw a large block of stone at Riku. Riku saw the stone coming and jumped from the pillar. However, he jumped too late as the block caught his shoulder and the young key bearer was knocked violently to the ground. He fell to the base of one of the pillars and lay there helpless. Caesar landed a few feet in front of him and began to walk towards him.

"This can't be." Riku uttered. He crawled towards the pillar base and laid his back against it. His arms dropped to his side soon after and he could no longer move.

"It's the end for you, Riku." Caesar chuckled. "End of the line. You tried so hard to stop me and failed. But let this be a lesson to you and your friend, Sora. You can never hope to defeat me." She took her staff's end and from it, she unsheathed as spear point, which was long enough to impale straight through Riku's back. "Now die!"

She lunged forward with the spear. But suddenly, she was frozen by some unseen force. Immediately, Ice came from out of nowhere and entombed her. Her spear has stopped only a centimeter away from Riku's chest. Sora suddenly appeared and with his sword unsheathed, he slashed straight through Caesar. Instantly, her body shattered into oblivion, turning into dust and sand. He sheathed his sword as the ninja's spear fell to the ground. He turned and smiled at Riku.

"Hey there, Riku." Sora chuckled. "You miss me!" Suddenly he felt Riku's fist slamming itself against his cranium.

"I love your timing, you fumbducker!" Riku roared. "What they hell were you doing! Taking a nap!"

"Hey! What's the idea! I got to you in time didn't I!" Sora said, rubbing the top of his head.

"Had you decided to stall for a second longer, I would've become a Heartless!"-

"Really? A Heartless?"-

"Yes! Especially, when there would be a six foot long spear lodged in my chest!"-

It was then that Sora noticed a small gem lying on the ground next to the black information disk that Caesar kept from them. He picked them up and placed the disk in his pocket. Sora however continued to gaze at the yellow gemstone and examined it closely. On the surface of the gem, a lightning volt was inscribed on its surface.

"I wonder what this it?" Sora said. "Could it be that this is a summon stone?"

"We'll have to wait until we return to Traverse Town." Riku replied. "We can ask that old wizard, Merlin to help us." Sora placed the gem in his pocket. He then gazed at the pile of sand, dust, and glass that accumulated on the ground where Caesar once was.

"I don't understand how she could've fallen so easily?"-

"It's simple, Sora. She wanted to get the job done so quickly she never took time to realize her opponent's true potential. To add, she really enjoyed watching us squirm too much and lost concentration on focusing her energy, which is why she was taken by surprise so easily."-

"Well, come on, let's go help Ico." Riku sheathed his sword and both he and Sora ran through the passage that led to the sacrificial chamber.

Meanwhile, Ico confronted the might of the shadow queen. For minutes on end, he took on the dark energy waves head on. They were powerful and pushed Ico back with every gust. The queen took pleasure in the boy's struggle.

"Well, boy?" the queen uttered. "You plan on doing this all day, or will you fight me right and fulfill what you came to do? Or is it that you're afraid to come any closer and attack me? If so, just give it up and leave this castle!"

"And have you go after Yorda!" Ico said. "I can't allow that!"

"Then fight me right!"-

Ico rushed forward with all he had, reaching the queen and struck her. But her energy shield prevented the sword from making impact. The blast blew Ico off his feet. He fell to the ground, with the sword falling only a few feet away from him. He quickly stood up and picked up the sword just as the queen released another energy wave. Ico was struck by the wave, but not effective.

"You little pest!" the queen said.

"You thought I'd go down so easily?" Ico said. "You've underestimated me!"

The queen continued to deploy her attacks, but Ico would not back down. Again he managed to charge forward and strike at the queen. But the queen's shield repelled him again. This time, when he lost the grip on his sword, the blade went flying fifty feet away from Ico.

"Now let's see you get out of this one without protection!" the queen shouted. She fired another energy wave and this time there was nothing to protect the boy. Or so she thought. Suddenly, Ico rolled behind a stone pillar. The pillar itself, consisting of that same magic energy, repelled the dark energy from harming him. "Oh that is very clever. Realizing that those sacred pillars obtain the same type of energy as the sword! But tell me, how do you plan on retrieving the sword now when it's so far away?"

"She's right." Ico thought to himself. "How do I get myself out of this now?" It was then that he noticed the pillar had no base beneath. Instead it stood upon four pegs that trailed along the crests in the floor. It was a movable pillar. "Hope isn't lost for me yet."

He began to pull at the pillar and moved it closer to where the sword lay. This did not go unnoticed to the queen.

"Blast, that little bastard." She said. She attempted to run and grab Ico, but the young boy had taken grasp of his sword. "You little…"

"Get ready for round two!" Ico shouted and continued his attack.

At the same time, in the main chamber, the shadows were still massed around Lu Bu, still hesitating to attack. Lu Bu only stood like a statue and chuckled.

"So this is it?" Lu Bu laughed. "Is this the feared army of the dead? Cowering before me? You should! Well, you plan on attacking me anytime soon!" The shadows neared him. "Hah! Well, if you won't attack, then I certainly will!" He used his pike and impaled one of the shadows. Slashing at it seven times, Lu Bu made a finishing move thrusting the shadow down towards the ranks of ghouls and spirits. Immediately after impact, a bright flash of the rune element, still attached to the shadow, erupted and destroyed a large portion of the horde. Twenty shadows were dispensed with instantly. The shadows continued to advanced, more aggressive this time.

"That's more like it!" Lu Bu chuckled. He used his powerful sweeping move and blew a hundred and fifty wraiths away. He then musoued his way through the ranks, taking up scores of spirits in the process. Slamming his pike onto the ground, the explosion blew away fifty more spirits. He jumped and swirled in the air and lashed out with a powerful hit from his pike. Again Lu Bu diminished thirty spirits. Spirits continued to attack, full force now.

"Is that all you worthless maggots have for me!" Lu Bu scoffed. The wraiths continued to charge in mass, making it easy for Lu Bu. He used as second sweep attack, taking out two hundred shadows at once. "Pitiful! You dogs are all bark and no bite!"

In less than two minutes, a thousand spirits had been disposed. Lu Bu continued to wreak havoc on their ranks. Eventually, some of the wraiths took to the air and attacked from above.

"You fools think aerial attacks will help you!" Lu Bu levitated himself as well and flew amongst the wraiths, slashing a dozen at a time. He then charged back to the ground and slammed his energy into the ranks. Three hundred shadows were dispensed with in his attack. He then placed himself in the center again and once more, he was surrounded.

It was at this point that Riku and Sora made it to the main chamber and began to climb the stairs, when they saw Lu Bu surrounded. They jumped on to the platform where a column of pods stood. There they saw Lu Bu in the midst of the shadows, completely surrounded.

"Lu Bu!" Sora shouted.

"Glad to see that you could make it." Lu Bu said. The shadows began to come towards Riku and Sora.

"Oh God!" Riku said. "There are so many of them."

"How are we gonna fight them all?" Sora asked. "We only have so much ether left to fight with and we need to save some for the fight against the shadow queen!"

"Leave that to me!" Lu Bu said. "I would brace myself if I were you!"

Riku and Sora agreed and hid behind one of the pods, the wraiths still closing in of them. Lu Bu began to power up.

"Pray for mercy, you maggots!" Lu Bu shouted. "This ends today!" He pounded his foot into the ground and s powerful energy wave erupted, blowing away all wraiths surrounding him. In a bright flash of light, and a sudden explosion, all the ranks of ghouls, wraiths, and shadows had been eliminated. The warrior stood in the center of the chamber, now surrounded by nothing. Riku and Sora stood up from behind the pillar.

"Man." Sora uttered. "What was that?"

"A foot stomp?" Riku added.

"Are you sure that Lu Bu was correct? He and you are equal in strength?"-

"I'm starting to wonder if he really was fooling with us."-

"That was easy." Lu Bu chuckled. Riku and Sora approached him.

"That was something else." Riku said. "I hope that I can hold my own against that when it comes to our rematch."

"Maybe you will." Lu Bu turned toward the door leading to the throne room.

"Well, let's go." Sora said. "We have one more nuisance to get rid of."

"This'll be easy."-

"Alright, Ico," Riku said, "brace yourself because we're coming to the rescue!"

The three headed towards the opening, ready to confront whatever was occurring in the throne room.

At the same time, Ico had managed to strike several times at the queen. But due to the queen's powerful shield, he was not able to break through and smite her. Again he was repelled. This time he lost the grip on his sword and the blade went flying across the room.

"Again you lose your sword." The queen chuckled. "However, I won't allow you to gain control." This time, the queen placed herself in front of the sword and guarded it from Ico's attempt to retrieve it. "Now how do you plan to defend yourself from my attacks?" She deployed another wave of her dark energy. Ico tumbled behind the protection of the rune pillars.

"You won't be going anywhere I guess." said the queen. "Face it Ico. You took a gamble and you lost. And your insolence to me will not go unpunished. For taking my daughter away from me, you will not leave this castle ever. I'll track down Yorda and bring her back and this time, there won't be any pesky horned boys to try and get in my way to rescue her!"

"Don't you think you flap your gums too much!" Ico shouted from behind the pillar.

"And what if I do? You can no longer harm me as long as the sword is out of your grasp. Without it, you're just a pathetic canker soar!" She released an energy wave again, but Ico remained behind the pillar. "So, boy, what do you intend on doing now?"

"He doesn't have to do anything!" a voice sounded out from the entry way. The queen looked up to see Riku, Sora, and Lu Bu standing in the doorway.

"Leave Ico alone!" Sora demanded.

"And what do you intend to do if I don't?" the queen asked.

"We'll fight you. That's what!" Riku replied.

"Hah! And how do you intend on doing that? If you haven't noticed, that rune sword just behind me is the only thing that can hinder me. And it's the only type of its kind ever made. All other weapons are useless against me."-

"You assume too much!"-

"Do I! And how do you intend to fight me with regular weapons?"-

Riku and Sora drew out their blades. Lu Bu revealed this halberd from behind him and threw it before him. Immediately, the three weapons glowed with the same powerful energy that accumulated from the sword.

"Who said anything about them being regular?" Riku said. The second she saw the weapons glow with the same resonation as the rune sword, her eyes grew large with fear.

"It can't be!" she said. "Where did you get those!"

"That's not open for discussion." Lu Bu uttered.

"And who are you!" the queen asked.

"I am Lu Bu! Bow down before me!"-

"You fools! My minions will stop you!"-

"What minions? You mean the thousands of shadows who were fighting in the chamber? You won't be getting any help from them anymore! They were taken care of!"-

"But how!"-

"Just live with it!" Sora shouted. He soon saw the petrified figures of Goofy, Donald, and Mickey. "You'll also pay for what you did to our friends!"

"You think it'll be that easy to defeat me! Even if you do have rune weapons as well, there's no way that you'll win against me!" the queen stated.

"Well, there's only one way to find out!" Sora lunged forward and attacked the queen.

The queen deployed her energy and shielded Sora away. Riku attacked with a powerful lung and the queen's shield. The queen repelled his attack, but the shield was now growing weak. She knew she wouldn't be able to stop them for long with the shield. Again, Riku and Sora attacked. Now, the queen was dodging the attacks, trying not to let her shield be weakened any further. She used her powerful energy waves to repel her attackers. At the same time, Ico managed to retrieve the sword and joined the attack against the queen. The queen dodged and repelled again and again, trying to evade the three, while Riku and Sora deployed their elemental attacks. The queen's shield slowly began to falter with each strike made.

"I've had enough of this!" the queen roared and with a sudden energy wave, she managed to sweep the three boys off their feet. The three fell back against the wall, still holding on to their blades. "You three have been under my skin long enough! But once again I have proven that I am too much even for you three put together! Now, I will extinguish you permanently!"

"Hey!" Lu Bu shouted. "Aren't you forgetting about someone! I'm still here waiting for my turn!"

"And what to you plan on doing!" the queen replied. "I've already proved that I'm more than a match for these boys! What makes you think you'll succeed where they failed!"

"If you haven't noticed, it's not a boy you are addressing, but the mightiest man alive! And unlike those boys, I don't hesitate to kill!"-

"But you're just as foolish!" The queen deployed a powerful energy wave against Lu Bu, but the mighty warrior only counterattacked with his foot stomp. His own powerful energy wave, accumulated from his foot, repelled the queen's dark energy.

"Do you expect a pathetic attack like that to work on the mighty Lu Bu!" The queen began to shutter with fear. "You want to know who was responsible for dispensing with your minions? I'll tell you. It was me, I did it all by myself!"

"That's impossible! No one could have fulfilled such a task on their own."-

"Again you mock my abilities. Well, you'll regret ever doing that." Lu Bu began to attack. The queen strengthened her shield and prepared to deploy another wave of dark energy. But in the process, Lu Bu deployed a powerful musou attack and broke through the wave. He clashed at the shield with ten spin hits. With every powerful hit, the shield weakened ten times more than when Ico, Riku, or Sora struck at it.

"This can't be." The queen uttered. "How could someone have this kind of strength!"

Lu Bu then finished off the attack with an over-the-head slam of his pike. The last strike broke the shield and the queen was left vulnerable. Riku and Sora slowly stood up and saw the result.

"Oh my God!" Sora uttered. "Lu Bu broke through her shield as if it were glass!"

"I've never seen strength like this before." Riku said. "And to think he lost against me in the 'Treasure Realm.'"

"Do you have any last words!" Lu Bu said.

"You think it'll be that easy!" The queen shouted. She suddenly began to levitate herself from off the ground. With sudden speed, she then flew out of the throne room and into the sacrificial chamber. Lu Bu and the other s ran out. "Now you can't attack me so long as I remain in the air! I can always defeat you from the air! So now what, Lu Bu! You can't possibly attack me effectively from that distance! And I can see your every move from up here! You can't possibly take me by surprise!"

"You truly are a fool!" Lu Bu chuckled. He suddenly burst into the air and flew straight into the queen. The queen was taken by utter surprise, but it was too late. In almost a slow motion effect, she could see her own death at the hands of Lu Bu. "I told you that I don't hesitate to kill!" With a swipe of his blade, Lu Bu cut the queen in half. Instantly, her energy dispersed and she was no more.

"Did you see that?" Ico asked. "How could anyone defeat the shadow queen that quickly?"

"Only someone like Lu Bu can something like that." Riku uttered, astonished by what he had witnessed.

"Lu Bu's stronger than we thought." Sora added. He suddenly remembered his friends still held captive in stone in the throne room. "Oh yeah! Mickey, Donald, and Goofy!" Sora ran back into the throne room. When entering, he saw the three had been released from their stone prisons. "Hey guys! You're alright!"

"What happened?" Mickey uttered.

"You guys were turned to stone."-

"By whom?" Donald asked.

"It was the shadow queen who did it." Riku replied, walking into the throne room. "After she was killed, the dark energy diminished and you three were restored to life."

"Well, thanks for helping us." Mickey said. The five exited the room, where Lu Bu and Ico awaited them. Lu Bu's presence however was found rather shocking to the three revived KH members.

"Lu Bu!" Donald said. "What's he doing here!"

"He was the one who helped us defeat the shadow queen and her minions." Sora said. "If it wasn't for him, we might still be fighting against her."

"So this is the second time you helped us." Mickey said.

"The second time?" Riku asked. "When was the first time?"

"It was at Halloween Town, when we were confronted by General Kai and the Imperials forces."-

"Boy, Lu Bu," Sora uttered, "you certainly are full of surprises."

"What about Caesar?" Donald asked. "Did you defeat her?"

Sora took the information disk from out of his pocket.

"Here's what she left us." He replied. "Our next destination. Too bad she didn't leave any new abilities for us."

It was then that the castle began to crumble all around them.

"The castle's breaking up!" Ico said. "We have to get out of here!"

"What's the quickest way to get out of here!" Lu Bu said

"We should take the boat from the jetty."-

"Then, let's get going!" Sora shouted. The united KH team and their comrades ran down two the lower floor of the chamber and used the lift to reach the jetty. They managed to climb into one of the undamaged boats and rowed out. The earth pillars and spikes, which were made by Caesar, began to crumble all around them.

"Hurry, Hurry!" Ico cried. "We have to go faster!"

"We're too heavy!" Lu Bu shouted. "That's why we're going slow! We need to get rid of some weight!" They then looked at Goofy, holding his heavy shield.

"What are you looking at me for?" Goofy asked.

"We gotta go faster!" Donald said. "Gotta go faster!"

"The place is crumbling all around us!" Mickey added. "We have to move now!"

"You want faster?" Riku said. "Then let's turn up a little wind!" Riku went to the back o the boat and deployed Hurricane Slash. The boat suddenly went high speed and reached shore within seconds. As the party jumped out of the dingy, they watched as the castle began to crumble and sink into the crashing waves.

"Ico!" a voice cried. The party turned to see Yorda and Zeke coming at them. She embraced her horned friend tightly. "So glad that you're alright."

"I'm glad to see that you're alright." Ico replied. Sora in the meantime, walked up the Zeke and patted him on the snout.

"Great work Zeke." Sora uttered. "You fulfilled your mission well. Van would be proud of you." Zeke growled and nudged Sora on the cheek, affectionately. There was a sudden roar coming from the sea now.

"Look at that!" Goofy shouted, pointing out to sinking castle. The party looked to see the castle's highest towers crashing beneath the water's surface.

"Going" Riku said, watching the bridges sink beneath the waves. "Going." The tall towers were touching the water surface and eventually disappeared from sight. "Gone."

With Riku's final word, the once magnificent castle that stood proudly over the landscape, a grand ruin of so many memories, was no more.


	7. Sora's Dream

Sora's Dream

The party eventually made it to the top of the high cliffs through a series of old stairwells and passage ways. They thus looked out over the horizon. They rested along the Cliffside.

"What do we do now?" Donald asked. "The Leviathan was damaged and it's probably sitting at the bottom of the sea."

"Isn't that obvious?" Mickey replied. "Thank goodness we have spare gummi ships." Mickey deployed another gummi. The classical Kingdom gummi. "A little old fashioned, but it'll do."

"So, our mission was a success." Riku said. "We defeated another shinobi as well as stopped another act of the Dark Empire."

"Too bad we didn't get any techniques from Caesar." Sora uttered. "We would have gained another strength."

"Yeah, that's the one thing that we missed out on."-

It was then that Lu Bu began to walk away from the group.

"Hey, Lu Bu!" Riku shouted. 'Where are you going!"

"I did my part." Lu Bu replied. "I made sure that you didn't die. So I have no reason to be here any further." Lu Bu suddenly turned around. By the way, these are for you and Sora. Lu Bu threw two energy items at the two key bearers. Sora and Riku, when clutching the stones in their hands, they had gained a new power. Sora had achieved the infamous foot stomp, while Riku achieved the powerful musou. "Maybe you can make yourselves useful using those attacks I gave. What Caesar didn't give up, I'll give up in return."

"Why would you give up such powerful attacks for us?" Riku asked.

"I expect you to be a challenge for me when we rematch!" With that, Lu Bu flew into the distance, disappearing into the blue sky.

"Well, there he goes again." Sora said.

"Then, we better get a move on too." Riku replied.

"We won't be going anywhere for a while!" Donald shouted.

"Why's that?"-

"The gummi ship's electrical system is faulty right now! So, I'm gonna try and see what's wrong with it!"-

"But I thought you said you weren't a mechanic, or an electrician!" Sora said.

"But thanks to the mechanics at Traverse Town, I managed to pick up a few basic skills! So, I'm gonna look into the problem and hopefully I can somehow troubleshoot the system to work again!"-

"Well, I hope you know what you're doing." Riku said. He then looked at the others. "Well, we might as well sit down for a while, until we can get that stupid gummi to function properly."

"Aren't there any other spares besides the Kingdom, Donald?" Mickey asked.

"Excuse me, but I didn't know we'd be traveling this much in gummi ships!" Donald replied, angrily. "This is not like before, when we were fighting the Heartless!"

"No use trying to argue about it now!" Riku stated. "We'll just go along with it for now."

Sora decided to rest his weary muscles and rested himself against a tree. He took of his leather jacket and placed it next to him. He then flipped his sheathed sword onto his shoulder. He leaned his head against the bark and closed his eyes. The shade was cool and breezy, allowing the young man to sleep soundly beneath the braches of the tree. It was here that he had that dream. A dream of events that passed and what would be.

_It was a beautiful day on __Destiny__Island__. The usual activity continued to take place there. On the beach, Wakka would twirl his battle ball on his index finger. Selphy would gaze out into the clear blue waters of the ocean, dreaming her little dreams without care. Tidus would be training himself upon the upper pier. His skills excelled like nothing before. And of course, Riku, Kairi, and Sora would be doing things together on the other side of the island. The time saw different though. They were older now and were exposed with thoughts of new worlds and new memories. Their adventures in other worlds may have separated them. But their hearts could be no closer than ever before. There were talks of their adventures amongst the six friends. Each would tell their own story of their adventures. Gathering around a small campfire in the secret place, they would converse about the peril they experienced. But none was greater to them than that first encounter. _

_ One day, when the sun was going down, and everyone was heading home, Sora walked up to Kairi and Riku._

_ "Well, we'll see you tomorrow." Riku said as he boarded on his boat._

_ "Another great day, eh Sora?" Kairi added. _

_ "Guys." Sora uttered. "I was wondering. You guys doing anything later tonight?"_

_ "Not that I know of. Why do you ask?"-_

_ "What's on your mind?" Riku asked._

_ "I just wanted to know." Sora replied. "I was just wondering."_

_ "Well, I don't know. If you want us to come here later tonight, then sure."-_

_ "Will the others be here?" Kairi asked._

_ "I guess so." Sora said. "Hopefully."_

_ "At what time do you want us?" Riku asked._

_ "How about around __7:00__ at the secret place."-_

_ "We'll be there."-_

_ There was a silence between the three before they went off on their separate ways. However, Sora remained on the island for a little while longer. He walked onto the beach of that quaint little island, letting the sand caress itself around his shoes. _

_ "I must be ready for their return." Sora uttered._

_ Later that night, around __7:00 p.m.__ Kairi and Riku returned to the island. They tied their boats and walked onto the path leading to the secret place._

_ "I wonder if Sora's here yet." Kairi said. _

_ "I don't know." Riku replied. "Let's wait in the secret place if he hasn't arrived yet." But as they entered the main chamber, they noticed a round table placed in the center of the room. And sitting next to is was Sora._

_ "Hey, Sora!" Riku said. Sora looked around and laid his eyes on his lifelong friends._

_ "Hey, you guys." Sora replied. "I'm glad that you could make it."_

_ "Where is everyone?"-_

_ "They're not here. It's just the three of us."-_

_ "Well that's no good." Kairi said. "Wouldn't it have been better if all of us were here?"_

_ "The truth is that I only wanted you two to come. The others don't know about our gathering."-_

_ "But why?"-_

_ "I wanted to do something with both you and Riku for a long time. And I can't keep delaying it."-_

_ "What are you talking about, Sora?" Riku asked._

_ "We've been together for so long." Sora explained. "I wanna make sure that it last a little longer." He took out from under the table a brown, leather sack. Untying the string, he opened the bag and pulled out a large, ripe Paopu. The largest ever found on the island. _

_ "Sora." Kairi uttered._

_ "We've always been friends, we three. Now I want to see if our destinies will truly be inseparable." He pulled out his pocket knife and cut the Paopu into three separate pieces. Riku and Kairi gathered with Sora around the table. They each took a piece and gazed at it for a second, or two._

_ "A vow." Sora said. _

_ "A vow?" Riku asked._

_ "What kind of vow?" Kairi added._

_ "By this fruit, I vow that our destinies become one. That we shall forever become a part of each other's lives." Sora said, holding his piece of the fruit high above his head. Riku smiled and held his piece up high._

_ "Then, we pledge our loyalties to the end of our days." Riku added. Kairi smiled as well and held piece up too._

_ "From this day forward, our destinies will be converged forever." She said. "Only until death do we part." The three then placed the fruit to their mouths and bit into the yellow meat. The taste of the Paopu however was different from how the Paopu was usually described in taste as being bitter and sour, which is the reason why Paopu fruits are seldom plucked from their trees. This Paopu was sweet to the taste and soothing to the tongue. _

_ "That's unusual." Riku said. "Why is the Paopu so sweet?"_

_ "I don't know." Sora replied. "I understand that Paopus are supposed to be more sour than lemons and more bitter than grapefruits. But this tastes so good."_

_"I think it is part of the legend." Kairi said. "Only when a true vow is made between people, is when the paopu changes its flavor. The intensity of the sweetness depicts the closeness of the relationship. The stronger the bond, the greater the sweetness."_

_ Sora smiled at his two friends who took on another bite from their individual slices. It was then that the door suddenly opened and a wave of darkness consumed the chamber. Sora suddenly felt himself falling through space and darkness. Through his eyes he could see his past and his present. Each event making itself known in a sudden flash of light. _

_ "What is this!" Sora cried. "Where am I! What's going on!" He cried out for his friends amidst the darkness, but there was no reply. He suddenly felt heavy, falling through the darkness of the void. It was then that he saw threatening shapes lurking in the shadows. Then a voice began to speak._

_ "You will meet a great tragedy in your life." The voice uttered. "Your vow will never be fulfilled. As we speak, a new destiny awaits you. You will be abandoned and you will search. Your strength grows great, but your heart weakens with the impact of its sorrow. Innocent blood will be spilled to linger with the blood of your foes. A link between companion and nemesis." Sora suddenly saw the faces of his companions flash in the darkness. "The challenge you face will not be the end. It will only be the beginning. But it is the nothing that you will not witness. Return to paradise with a great sorrow on you heart. It will be with you, engraved in stone and etched in gold. Your vow will thus be broken, when death comes at your door."_

_ Sora could suddenly see the faces of his foes glaring at him with cold eyes. He then suddenly saw Kairi crying over a shadowed body. Sora didn't recognize the figure she was cradling in her arms. Then there was another flash and Sora suddenly saw Riku fighting a battle. His body was beaten and bloodied, as if he had engaged in an intense battle. Suddenly, Sora saw Riku fighting himself. Another Riku, but different in appearance. This new Riku had bright yellow eyes that glowed like fireflies in the darkness. _

_ It was then, in a final scream, that great red eye began to look at him dead in the face. Sora cried out in terror as skeleton hands reached out for him in the darkness._

Sora suddenly awoke in a cold sweat. He heard the engines of the gummi ship running. Donald had managed to fix the ship. And now, the ship was ready for take off.

"Hey, Sora!" Riku cried. "It's time to get up! Rise and shine!"

"How long was I out?" Sora asked.

"You were out for a good forty-five minutes, or so."-

"It seemed longer than that."-

"I finally got the electrical system to function properly." Donald said. "Now we can head out."

"But before we take off," Mickey stated, "we should look at that info disk that we got from Caesar first."

"Oh yeah." Sora said. He pulled it out of his pocket. "Here you go." Donald took the disk and placed it into the decoder and analyzed the data.

_Energy stones lost in the "Rurouni Realm." Master Kahn will be assigned to retrieve these energy stones. They are vital to our upgraded mobile droid and mobile doll systems. These stones, when planted into the main generator, will effect all units of that link. Thus, the combative capabilities will be increased ten fold._

"Those Imperials never give up do they!" Riku said. "If they get their hands on those power stones, they might be able to affect the outcome of this conflict by turning it in their favor!"

"Then, there's no time to lose." Mickey said. "Let's go fellas."

"The 'Rurouni Realm' eh?" Sora uttered. "I wonder what awaits us there?"

"Well, we don't have time to think about it now." Riku said. "We gotta go."

"Wait!" Ico cried. He ran up to Riku and Sora, handing them the rune sword. "Here. You'll need this more than I will. With the shadow queen gone, there's no reason to have this weapon here any further. So, I thought it may come in more useful to you guys."

"Thanks Ico." Sora said. Riku took the sword from the young boy, while Sora placed his hand on his shoulder. "You take care of yourselves alright." Ico nodded.

"Will you ever come back?"-

"Maybe."-

"Stay strong." Riku said, rubbing the kid's hair. He turned to Sora. "Let's go."

"Right." Sora replied. The two boarded the ship along with the others. The rockets roared and the gummi ship inched its way up into the atmosphere. Then, with a sudden gust, the ship dashed at the speed of light into the distance.

Ico stood there, watching as the ship disappeared like a twinkle in the sky. He then turned to Yorda.

"So our ordeal is finally over." Yorda said.

"Yeah." Ico replied.

"Now where do we go?"-

"Let's go back to my village. Perhaps these passed events might enlighten their logic a little bit. Horned boys like me are not sacrificial items. We have hearts and destinies as well." He took Yorda by the hand and they disappeared into the wilderness, heading back to the village and home.

Meanwhile, back in Vandor, General Ameba was complaining again. This time, it was to General Kai.

"I'm telling you!" Ameba bickered. "Where are Sora and Riku now!"

"Don't ask me where their present course is right now because I don't know." Kai replied.

"But those two key bearers are fighting your men!" Ameba said. "Are you trying to tell me that you can't even keep track of your own shinobis?"

"I told them to be where they needed to be. I never gave them a specific time. Besides, I haven't received word from Caesar yet."-

"Have you considered the thought that she has already been defeated!"-

"That's a possibility."-

"Then why don't you check it out to confirm?"-

"I will not have you interfering with the efforts of my men. I know your tactics, General Ameba!"-

"Efforts, Kai! So far, five of your elemental ninjas have failed! That's over 60 of your outfit! Now only two of you remain! You think this is some sort of a game!"-

"You should talk, General Ameba!" Kai said angrily. "You think it's easy! My best men are putting their lives on the line and I can't do anything about it so long as I have been ordered to stay here!"

"So the lives of your best ninjas mean nothing to you!" Ameba replied.

"They live to fight and die for the sake of the Empire! If they die, they die in the line of duty! Nothing more to it!"-

"Listen you! I want to know where Kahn is! If you give me his whereabouts, I could help him fight against Sora and his friends!"-

"I can't let you do that, General Ameba. Unlike the other shinobis, Kahn knows better than to engage in unnecessary battles. His goal is to retrieve those power stones. However, he must avoid getting himself involved in other affairs. If I know Kahn, he'll fulfill his assignment in no time at all. However, if you were to interfere, that would only complicate matters."-

"But we'll only take over that realm sooner, of later! Let me finish the job now by aiding Kahn!"-

"No!"-

By now, Ameba grew angry and grasped Kai by the front of his cloak.

"Listen you! I'll…"-

"I wouldn't press my luck!" Kai warned.

"Don't you dare threaten me, shinobi!"-

"That is enough!" a voice suddenly exploded. The two generals saw Lord Arakis coming towards them. And next to him, the venerable Lord Exavier Crassus, ancestor of Vegeta and lead strategist of the Dark Empire. He and Arakis walked towards the two. "I will not have the Imperial forces fighting amongst themselves."

"This unnecessary action is bad for morality." Crassus added.

"Lord Arakis!" Ameba said. "I demand to be allowed to take out Riku and Sora now!"

"You may do as you please." Arakis replied. "However, General Kai holds seniority over this next assignment and I would thank you not to be so insubordinate and defy his word. He says he wants no interference with the activity commencing in the 'Rurouni Realm.' So it is said, so it will be done. No further argument about it."

"But I am missing a grand opportunity!" Ameba said.

"If you are to capture Riku and Sora, do it with a person who's encountered them in the past. Someone with experience."-

"And where do you suppose I will get that experienced individual to help me? From what I understand, the foes who fought Sora before are either dead, in custody, or have changed their ways entirely!"-

"There is still one I know of roaming about." Arakis explained. "A buccaneer to be precise and I have met with him to strike a bargain. If you meet with him, you can lay out your own agreement."

"Where will I meet this man?"-

"He's taken port at Gombria. Meet him there and arrange your own plans. He has the ability to intercept Sora and is friends, so he'll prove a great value to you."-

"Then I will see this man." Ameba walked away hastily.

"A wise move, my lord." Crassus uttered. "That should keep Ameba out of trouble."

"Right now, I want to make sure that my own plans are carried out successfully." Arakis explained. "I want to see how far Sora and Riku will go for their friend, Kairi."

"So far they have proven successful."-

"But at what cost?" General Kai uttered.

"You will be compensated, general. I assure you."-

"I know Kahn. He'll succeed. But if anything happens to him…"-

"I understand how you feel, General Kai. Especially, since Master Kahn happens to be your best friend."-

"We both grew up in the Vantibria region." Kai explained. "Since we were kids, we were always together. We joined the Imperial forces after the Alliance decided to burn out homes to the ground. Now, for the sake of the Empire and the dream of unification throughout the universe and all dimensions linked, we will continue to battle faithfully for the Empire."

"But what were to happen if Kahn is defeated by Sora and Riku?" Crassus asked.

"If that should happen, then I will no longer remain dormant here! I will attack them and kill them myself. However, I believe there will be no need for revenge. Kahn is equally skilled as I in the dark element. There is no way that he can fail."-

"Very well." Arakis said. He then turned to Crassus. "Now then, Crassus. What is the present situation right now?"

"We are in the process of invading the spirit realm with our new mobile droids." Crassus replied. "His Excellency, Lord Viro is heading there to overlook the progress as we speak. He wishes for you to accompany him."

"Alright, then inform Lord Viro that I shall be with him shortly." Arakis and Crassus began to walk away from Kai. Kai could hear the final words of the Death Lord conversation. "Once we take over spirit world, then the Z team will have no place to run and regroup themselves."

"But what about those warriors of the dead? You know, the ones who guard spirit world?"-

"They'll be easy to take down. Spirits are most vulnerable in their own world. Who says that you can't die twice? Once we kill off the spirits, those souls will no longer exist as if they never were in the first place."-

As Crassus and Arakis went about their business, Kai was left standing, looking out into the now night sky over Vandor.

"Stay alive Kahn." He uttered. "I'm entrusting you to come back victorious."


	8. Appearance of Shadows

The Appearance of Shadows

Makoto Shishio had summoned all the members of the Juppongatana to his side. Planning a massive takeover of Japan, he would establish himself as the new leader of the country if victorious. The remaining members of the Juppongatana and the soldiers who faithfully served under them rallied around the powerful man slayer. Amongst them were the dreaded Anji the Destroyer, Usui, and Sojiro the Tenken, the most highly skilled and deadliest assassin under Shishio. Also, alongside, fighting with the Juppongatana was the former leader of the Tokyo Oniwaban group, Aoshi Shinomori who hoped to regain the pride of his group by defeating Kenshin Himura in battle.

"Listen to me!" Hoji the Knowledge, Shishio's so called minister of propaganda, began. "The time has come for us to realize the dream of Lord Shishio! Lord Shishio will lead the way! Lead the way to a new Japan! A Japan that knows no enemy it cannot defeat! A Japan that obtains no weakness! As we speak, the great western nations are taking over all of Asia! We however will prevent such conquest from happening in Japan! So long as we stay strong, with the hand of Lord Shishio to guide us, we will survive this time of turmoil! The Meiji government has only allowed such weakness to thrive. Continuous battles are erupting all over Japan and this new government has done nothing to prevent them. But we, the faithful followers of Lord Shishio, shall give rise to a new dawn, and the birth of a great nation will emerge where only the strong shall survive! Let us go forth and realize this dream, for the sake of Lord Shishio and this country!" There was a loud cheer bellowing from the voices of the minion soldiers.

"That was quite a bold statement you made, Hoji." Shishio uttered. "You certainly know how to motivate the troops don't you."

"I can only motivate them with my words, Lord Shishio. However, you are the heart that leads them. They put their trust in you and you alone. I only represent you from a verbal stance."-

"You will lead us to a new era, my lord." Yumi, Shishio's courtesan, uttered.

"And you will be there by my side." Shishio replied.

Hoji continued to praise the new era and the time when they would realize the true destiny of Japan, not knowing of the great danger that lurked in the shadows.

From the shadows, a man cloaked in black began to approach the headquarters of the Juppongatana, where the rally was taking place. Two guards were standing at the gate, keeping watch, when they suddenly saw the figure coming towards them.

"Halt!" one guard said. "Who goes there!"

"I've come to attend the rally of Shishio and the Juppongatana." The figure said.

"This facility is off limits to you!" said the other guard. "Get lost!"

"I just want to meet with Shishio."-

"What's Lord Shishio to you?"-

"Now get out of here before you get yourself hurt." The first guard shouted.

"There's no need for threats." The figure uttered.

"And what do you plan to do about it!" the second guard chuckled.

"Oh, you'll see." Suddenly, dark shadows encompassed the two guards and killed them silently before any alarm was attempted. The figure continued on his path, making his way into the headquarters of the Juppongatana. Slinking into the shadows of the darkness, the figure stealthily made his way into the area where Makoto Shishio and the rally of the Juppongatana were located.

Meanwhile, Hoji continued his propaganda to the minions of Shishio. With every word he uttered, there was a great deal of enthusiasm behind them. Hoji spoke out into the night, for even those outside to hear. There was cheering for his words. The speech was delivered is such grandeur and passion, but on this night, it would call forth one, which should never have heard it.

"This nation will be ours!" Hoji continued. "We shall go forth and make Lord Shishio's dream a reality! With our lord in the lead, we will create not only a strong Japan, but a Japan destined to conquer the whole world! We will spread our influence and gain control of other territory just as the western nations have! Not only will Japan be a strong country, but the greatest world power ever to exist!" There was a grand cheer from the troops of Shishio.

"You certainly are a motivational speaker, Hoji." Shishio said. "You are good in your words as I am in my strength."

"I could never equally level myself to you, Lord Shishio." Hoji replied. "I only serve you. You are the one who will lead us to victory."

"I'm glad you agree."-

But suddenly, there was a sinister laugh that, in a mellow manner, began to rise within the chamber.

"Well, that is quite a goal to help motivate your troops." It echoed. "You certainly carry out with grand ideas too big for your own good don't you."

"Who said that!" Hoji shouted, angrily. "Show yourself!"

"If you plan on taking over the world, you must first eliminate not only your weaknesses, but your limitations as well."-

"Certainly a bold statement for someone who likes to lurk in the shadows!" Shishio said. "But am I so strong that you refuse to show your face to me, fearing the power that resonates within my being?"

"You credit yourself too much." The voice replied. "But you don't realize how great I am myself. A true warrior never reveals his true talents right away."

It was then that the figure, cloaked in black, appeared in the doorway. His head was covered by a dark hood and his body encased in the flowing cape. He walked into the room, working his way passed the troops who looked at him in either anger, or fear.

"Who is he?" One would utter.

"How dare you!" another would say.

"Such insolence!" said another soldier.

"You'll pay!" growled another. There was murmuring amongst the ranks as the figure reached the threshold where Shishio awaited.

"So you must the one who spoke." Shishio said.

"And you must be the great lord of this underground resistance." The figure replied. "Makoto Shishio."

"You realize that you have put yourself in a rather sticky situation don't you? You may not walk out of here alive."

"I'll take my chances." The figure drew closer to Shishio. "I want to ask you something." The figure drew his hand from out of his cloak and pulled out what looked like a black Compaq case. Suddenly a holographic image appeared revealing images of brightly colored stones. Shishio and the other members of the Juppongatana were astounded by what they saw. "Tell me, have you seen these three stones about anywhere?"

"Quite an impressive trick." Shishio replied.

"It's magic!" Hoji added. "How could he make such a bright image appear out of his hand?"

"I'll ask you again." The figure said. "Where can I find those three stones?"

"I've never seen them before." Shishio replied. "But I'll tell you what. You seem like a talented guy. How about joining us in our takeover of Japan?" But the cloaked figure only turned away.

"Sorry, you are irrelevant to me now. And since you know what I am looking for now, I can't allow any of you to live."-

Suddenly, there was loud laughing in the chamber. All the Juppongatana members were crying out tears because of laughing so hard. There was no soul in that room that did not laugh, except for the figure.

"You certainly boast yourself highly don't you!" Shishio said. "Are you telling me that you don't fear death?"

"You certainly are a fool!" added Hoji. "What will your fiery declaration prove except that you exercise an act of futility? You are insignificant to the might of Lord Shishio!"

"Will you shut up, you mindless freak!" the figure uttered. "Your voice is making my head split! What I said was true and I plan on killing you all! It just depends on how I will do it!"

"Then we'll let you have your way!" Hoji declared. "But you won't be fighting Lord Shishio, or the other members of the Juppongatana! Instead, you'll be fighting all of them!" The figure was suddenly surrounded by all the foot soldiers under Shishio. Each drew their weapons to fight and kill the figure. Some of them were so close to the figure that their blades nearly touched the cloak.

"Well, this has been fun and all." Shishio said, standing up. "But we have more pressing matters to attend to, like taking over this country. Now, if you please excuse us, we need to get rid of you right away." Shishio snapped his fingers and all of his men rushed at the figure stabbing away. But the figure was only shadow and disappeared without a trace. The troops were dumbfounded. Even Shishio was shocked at what had just occurred.

"What happened?" one of the soldiers said.

"Where did he go?" added another. Suddenly, there was laughing emerging from all around the room.

"Did you think that I would make it easy for you?" the figure suddenly began to speak from about the room.

"Up there!" cried Yumi. The Juppongatana and their minions looked up to see the cloaked figure suddenly emerge out of the ceiling and stand upon its surface.

"You must first know your enemy and their techniques." The figure said again, disappearing into the shadows. The cloaked individual then appeared on the wall, emerging like a phantom. "You use the members of the Juppongatana and their minions to extract this kind of information, by engaging in premature battles. Thus, you will gain further knowledge." The shape of the figure disappeared again only to reemerge from the floor in front of Shishio and the Juppongatana. "However, this situation is a little different. You have never seen my techniques have you. And as a result, you don't know how to predict them. But then again, even if you did predict them, I can always alter them at my own discretion."

"Kill him!" cried one of the soldiers and the hundreds of troopers rushed at the figure. But the shadowed specter only turned with eyes glowing suddenly a bright green. The troops were swept by a wave of shadows and each was suddenly stuck in his tracks.

"Fools." The figure uttered. The troops were suddenly consumed by emerging shadows. There were death screams within the shadows. Within ten seconds, the screaming died down along with the troops themselves. They lay slain on the ground.

By this time, this bizarre event had stricken fear into the hearts of even the toughest of the Juppongatana. Even Lord Makoto Shishio, the strongest of the lot, could not help to break out in a cold sweat of fear.

"How did he do that?" Shishio thought to himself. "How could someone manipulate shadows like that?" The figure suddenly turned with eyes dimming into the darkness of the cloak's hood. Immediately, some of the Juppongatana members began to back off.

"Against my power," the figure said, "you insects are insignificant."

"Am I supposed to be intimidated by that!" Shishio shouted. "You are a fool!"

"It is you who is in denial, thinking that you are still invincible. Well, you don't fully realize the situation then."-

"You really intend to fight me and the members of the Juppongatana?"-

"I never said that I would have to fight you and the Juppongatana in order to win, did I!" The figure suddenly raised his hands and the shadow of Shishio consumed the evil lord. Shishio began to cry out in pain.

"Lord Shishio!" Yumi cried.

"Lord Shishio!" Sojiro and Hoji added. The Juppongatana only watched helplessly their lord was overwhelmed by the shadows. Eventually, the screaming died down and the shadows emerged. There stood Shishio, alive and well.

"Lord Shishio!" Yumi cried. "You are alright!"

"Mr. Shishio!" added Sojiro.

"Hah!" Hoji laughed. "You fool! That goes to show you how powerful Lord Shishio is! He would never allow himself to be killed by shadows! You have failed!"

"Who said anything about wanting to kill him." The figure uttered. Suddenly, as Yumi approached her lord, Shishio unsheathed his sword and cut her head right off of her shoulders. He then turned and slashed Sojiro across the chest. The young boy fell to the ground, and lay on the floor cold and motionless, blood gushing from the open wound. Hoji backed off in fear.

"Lord Shishio!" Hoji cried, falling down with fear. The other members of the Juppongatana were shocked at what they had just witnessed. Shishio's eyes suddenly turned green.

"Shishio obeys me now." The figure uttered. "His heart was consumed by darkness and his sense of evil heightened to incredible levels. Thus, I was able to use the dark element to control his heart and manipulate his evil. Now he will do my bidding."

"You are a coward!" Anji the Destroyer shouted out.

"But Shishio did the same thing, using each of you to fulfill his dirty work for him. You never called him a coward. Why should this predicament be any different?"-

"We were compelled to do as what Lord Shishio told us!"-

"But either way, you were manipulated by him just as he is manipulated by me. So either way, it may be cowardly, but it's a technique that never seems to fail." He turned to Shishio. "Whom do you serve?"

"I serve, the master of darkness! Master Kahn!"-

"Kahn!" Hoji uttered. "Is that your name!"

"Now that you know, I have no choice, but to kill you." Kahn said. He gazed at several other members of the Juppongatana. "Let's see." He then threw his hand out to pick the best of the bad. "Ah yes!"

Suddenly, the shadows consumed Aoshi Shinomori and Usui. After a great struggle, the two were consumed by the darkness and they too reemerged as servants under Kahn.

"Oh no." Hoji uttered.

"That'll be all." Kahn declared. "Dispose with the rest, gentlemen." Immediately, the possessed beings of Shishio, Aoshi, and Usui drew there weapons. In that evening atmosphere, the Juppongatana met a terrible fate, not by the hand of an enemy, but by their own allies. Kahn appeared from the building with his new minions. Behind them, the bodies of each of the Juppongatana members lay strewn on the floor, drenched in blood.

"Tell me, Shishio." Kahn said. "This new power I'm sensing, this greater power. Who is it?"

"It is the Battousai." Shishio replied. "Known as Kenshin Himura, he has become a wanderer, repenting for all the lives he took during the revolution."

"Really. The Battousai, eh? Sounds like he'll make an excellent minion under me. Do you think he knows about the power stones?"-

"I doubt that."-

"Where can we find this Battousai?"-

"He would be heading towards Kyoto."-

"Well, let us pay him a visit anyway."-

Thus, the four began their trek to find Kenshin Himura. However, their conversation did not go unheard. From the room of slain Juppongatana members, one was still alive. Sojiro slowly staggered to his feet.

"That monster." He uttered. "He's possessed Mr. Shishio, Usui, and Aoshi. And now he's after Mr. Himura. He'll be looking for these power stones and he won't show any hesitation to repeat what he did here. I have to help Lord Shishio return to normal somehow. But I can't take on Kahn on my own." Sojiro hobbled outside quietly and found a horse tied up on the other side of the compound. Grasping at his wound, he untied the reigns and leaped onto the back of the horse. He hunched over, but regained his balance. Using a separate road to reach Kyoto, he rushed to give word to Kenshin and his friends at the Aoiya.

Meanwhile, back at the Aoiya. Miss Kaoru awaited the return of Kenshin, hoping that he would survive the fight against Shishio. Miss Misao stood by her, also wishing for the day that Lord Aoshi would return to her.

"Don't worry, Miss Kaoru." Misao said. "Himura will return from this upcoming fight. If I know him, he's not gonna let a guy like Shishio push him around."

"I suppose you're right, Misao." Kaoru replied. "But still," she grasped tightly at the wooden railing, "I wouldn't mind to see him again. Just before he goes off to battle."

"I see you two are still reminiscing." A voice suddenly uttered from behind. The two girls turned to see Mr. Okina standing behind them.

"How are you feeling today, Mr. Okina." Miss Kaoru asked him.

"These old bones are mending quickly. But if trouble were to find its way here, then I wouldn't be of much use."-

"You suppose those Juppongatana guys might attack again?" Misao asked.

"I don't know about that, but if they do, we'll be ready for them."-

Suddenly, Kaoru's young apprentice, Yahiko, came rushing into the room.

"Kaoru! Misao! Sir Okina!" he shouted.

"What is it, Yahiko?" Miss Kaoru asked.

"Look what I found just lying in the streets!" Yahiko held in his hand a black box.

"What's in it?" Misao asked.

"You'll see!" Yahiko held the box before the three and opened the lid. Inside were three beautiful stones, one of yellow, the other blue, and the third and glimmering red.

"They're so pretty." Kaoru uttered.

"I've never seen such stones before in my life." added Mr. Okina.

"You said you just found this?" Misao asked.

"It was in the back alley." Yahiko replied. "How could anyone just leave it there, knowing what was inside?"

"Perhaps someone was coming back for it." Kaoru asked.

"I don't think so. Why would anyone want to leave it out in the open? Wouldn't they hide this box if they knew it was valuable?"-

"Well, here's what we should do." Mr. Okina explained. "One of us must go back to the alleyway and wait there in case someone does return to find out that the box is missing."

"I'll do it then." Yahiko replied and ran back out of the room.

"It's a shame though." Misao said.

"I agree." Kaoru added. "I can't understand why someone would just leave something like his behind."

"Well, we'll keep it for safe keeping in case anyone else decides to snatch it."-

Meanwhile, Kenshin Himura had just completed his training and was now on his way to the Kyoto police headquarters to meet with the underground agent and former leader of the 3rd Shinsengumi squad, Hajime Saito. Taking a carriage to police headquarters, Kenshin began to have an uneasy feeling on the way. Upon reaching the police headquarters, Hajime Saito stuck his head out of his office window.

"Well Battousai," he said, "I thought you were some sort of missionary deciding to honor us with your presence. So are you ready for this upcoming fight." Kenshin looked up, with a smile on his face.

"As ready as I'll ever be." Kenshin replied. "Well, just have to see what happens."

But Saito realized that something else was bothering Kenshin. Because behind that innocent smile, there was a feeling of worry and of concern. Kenshin walked into his office.

"You seem distracted." Saito said. "There is something else wearing on your mind. I can see it in your eyes."

"For some strange reason, I feel uncomfortable about all this. I know that I've improved, but I still have a strange feeling that there is an even greater threat out there."

"Of course. This is Makoto Shishio we're talking about."-

"That's the disturbing part. It isn't Shishio that worries me."-

There was a dead silence between the two that lasted for a good few seconds, or so. Then, the door opened and someone else came into the room.

"That's just like you Kenshin." The voice uttered. "You always have that uneasy feeling. Especially when it comes to situations like this." Kenshin looked up to see a familiar face in the doorway.

"Sanosuke!" Kenshin said. Yes, Sanosuke Sagara had finally made it to Kyoto.

"You didn't think I was gonna let you have all the fun did you, Kenshin! I thought it best that you could use someone to help you."

"Sano."-

"Hold on." Saito interrupted. "I think it's more like he needs someone to get in the way."

"What did you say!" Sanosuke sneered. "Aw, never mind! We can reminisce about the past later! Right now we gotta run!"

"Run all the way to Osaka, Moron? We'll go by carriage."-

"Why do you have to nitpick everything I say!"-

The three walked out of the building. But as they neared the carriage, Kenshin suddenly stopped.

"What are you doing, Battousai?" Saito said. "We have a mission to fulfill."

"I still have a nagging feeling that something's wrong." Kenshin replied. "As if there's already a threat on its way, on the way to the Aoiya."

"We don't have time for this, Kenshin." Sanosuke said. "If we stall any longer, Shishio would have already set sail."

"I know, but still…"-

Suddenly, there was a flash of light that appeared before them and five individuals appeared from the glimmering flow. The Kingdom Hearts group had finally arrived.

Sora looked around, seeing Kenshin and the others gawking at them. The commotion caused pandemonium and several police officers emerged on the scene, to see what the bright flash of light was.

"Oh this is great." Sora said. "I thought we were supposed to be beamed down in a secluded area."

"At least the Kingdom has a teleportation system and we didn't have to land." Donald replied. "Can you imagine the attention we would have attracted if that would have happened?"

"Who are you?" Kenshin asked.

"Oh, I'm sorry." Riku uttered. "My name is Riku. This is my friend Sora and our companions, Goofy, Mickey, and Donald. Did we interrupt something important?"

"How the heck did you guys suddenly appear out of thin air?" Sanosuke asked.

"I keep forgetting that this is 19th century Japan." Donald whispered. "Teleportation hasn't even been dreamt of yet."

"Listen." Riku continued. "We don't have time to stay around here. We're looking for a man who goes by the name of Kahn."

"He's the master of the dark element." Sora replied. Kenshin just shrugged his shoulders.

"They have no idea what we're talking about."-

"Excuse me." Saito said. "But we have a mission to fulfill. Shishio's still out there."

"Right." Kenshin replied.

"Wait a minute!" Sora cried. "Do you at least know the whereabouts of the power stones!"

"We don't even know what you're talking about, kid." Sanosuke replied.

"It's no good, Sora." Riku replied. "They wouldn't know what we're talking about anyway."

"Then where do we start?" Mickey said. "Without a source, we could be wandering about Japan all day and still have no luck."

It was then that they heard the sound of hooves coming at a fast gallop. Kenshin stopped from entering the carriage to gaze at where the hoof beats were coming from. He suddenly gazed to see a horse coming straight for them. On its back was the young boy, Sojiro Seta of the Tenken. He was slightly slumped over and blood dripped from a ghastly wound streaked across his chest.

"Mr. Himura!" he cried, gasping. "I finally found you…"

"Sojiro!" Kenshin said. He stopped the horse and the boy fell from the horse to the ground. Kenshin rolled the boy over on his back and saw the hideous wound on his chest. "What happened? Who did this to you?"

"Mr. Shishio…"-

"Shishio?"-

"That's Shishio's top fighter." Saito said. "Sojiro Seta. I guess Shishio had no use of him."

"That's Shishio's top fighter?" Sanosuke asked. "He's just as kid."

"But why would Shishio do this? Especially to his most faithful follower?" Kenshin said

"Well, that's at least one member of the Juppongatana less that we have to worry about." Saito stated.

"But if Sojiro is here, that means that…"-

"Mr. Himura…" Sojiro uttered quietly. He grasped at the Battousai's shirt.

"Please Sojiro tell us why Shishio would do this."-

"It wasn't Mr. Shishio…It was…" Sojiro began to enter his death gasps and tightened his grip on the front of Kenshin's shirt.

"Sojiro! Hang on!"-

It was then that Sora and Riku came forth.

"The kid's in pretty bad shape." Sora said. "Goofy! Get the senzu beans."

"Okie Dokie!" Goofy replied and pulled out the bag of senzu beans.

"Give it to me." Riku said. Goofy placed the bean in his hand. Riku kneeled next to Sojiro. "Eat this. It'll make you feel better."

"How the heck's a bean supposed to make him feel better." Sanosuke said in a rather sarcastic manner.

"You'd be surprised." Sora said.

Sojiro opened his mouth and Riku placed the bean on his tongue. Sojiro began to chew. Five seconds after he swallowed the morsel, Sojiro was filled with a great amount of energy. He sat up and looked himself. His wound had been healed completely. Not even a scar was left. He stood up.

"I feel great." Sojiro said. Kenshin and the others were dumbfounded witness what had occurred.

"What just happened!" Sanosuke asked. "That kid was on the verge of death! How could he just stand up like that and not have a single scratch on him!"

"That was just as surprising to me that it was!" Kenshin added.

"Quite impressive." Saito said casually.

"Thank you." Sojiro uttered.

"Now, you can finish what you were saying." Riku said. "What about this Shishio guy?"

"It was Mr. Shishio who wounded me." Sojiro explained. "But he didn't do it on his own free will. He was possessed."

"Possessed?" Kenshin asked.

"Possessed. The shadows overwhelmed him and turned him against his own men."-

"It seems there's an even great power working here." Saito said.

"Who possessed him?" Kenshin asked.

"It was a man caped in a black cloak. His name was Kahn." Sojiro uttered

"Say that again!" Sora interrupted.

"Did you say Kahn!" Riku added.

"It looks like we finally found him." Said Mickey

"Pardon me, but do you know who this Kahn is?" Saito asked.

"That's right." Sora replied. "He's the master of the dark element and a member of the infamous Cavendish Shinobis. He's come to this world looking for the power stones."

"OK, now you've lost me." Sanosuke said. "What the heck are power stones?"

"They have the ability to enhance any type of sophisticated machinery," Riku explained, "increasing its abilities by at least ten fold."

"And the danger regarding this is…?-

"You may mock it now, but if you would have encountered the technology we've seen, then you'd think differently."-

"Kahn will do anything to get his hands on those enhancement stones." Donald said. "By that, he'll kill anyone who gets in his way. He'll find the stones and kill whoever holds them."

"Hey!" Sojiro shouted, pointing to the distance. "In the distance!"

The party looked to see what looked like darkness appear from over the mountains.

"No doubt about it." Mickey said. "That has to be Kahn!"

"But what is that dark essence forming in that area?" Kenshin asked.

"That must be his fighting aura!" Riku explained.

"Are you kidding?" Sanosuke said. "But how could something like that accumulate over so big an area?"

"Hey! Over there!" Goofy suddenly blurted out. They looked again to see a bright column of light bellowing over the horizon.

"Oh my God!" Sora said. "That must be where the power stones are! They're accumulating a lot of light!"

"We better get over there!" Riku explained.

"That's where the Aoiya is!" Kenshin said. "Miss Kaoru and the others are there and they probably don't even realize what's approaching them. We have to get them right away!"

"I suppose if we go there to meet this Kahn, then we'll find Shishio." Saito said. "Then, let's proceed!"

"Let's get going!" Mickey said.

"Come on out Zeke!" Sora shouted. He lifted his sword in the air and the mighty silver organoid appeared. Riku, Sora, Mickey, Donald, and Goofy jumped onto Zeke's back. "Take us to the beam of light and hurry!" Zeke roared and blew off in the direction of the light.

"We better get going to!" Kenshin said, as he and Sanosuke joined Saito in the carriage.

Sojiro mounted his horse and pulled up to the carriage.

"I'll meet you there!" he shouted and galloped away.

"I guess the kid's on our side now?" Sanosuke asked.

"He probably wants to see if he can break Shishio of the possession." Kenshin replied.

"Driver, to the Aoiya!" Saito ordered. The jailer came running to the carriage.

"Would you like me to send for reinforcements?" he asked.

"Get all available policemen to the Aoiya immediately."-

"Yes Sir."-

With that the carriage pressed on to aid the defenders at the Aoiya.

At the same time, Kahn felt the presence of the KH group.

"So, they're here." He uttered to himself. He turned to his three possessed followers. "Now, you know what your goal is. Find the power stones and return them to me. Kill all who stand in your way without any hesitation."

"Your wish is our command." Shishio uttered.

"We will eliminate these fools once and for all." Aoshi added.

"And we will take their hot blood and bathe in it." Usui stated.

"We shall let the power of darkness do our bidding." Kahn said. The four continued to move towards their target.

Unaware of the danger approaching, Miss Kaoru, Misao, Mr. Okina, and the other members of the Oniwaban group gazed down at the beautiful stones.

"No matter how long it is, I can't take my eyes off those beautiful stones." Kaoru uttered.

"I know." Misao added. "You just fall in love with them don't you? It's kind of hard to believe that someone would just abandon these."

"But what person, in their right mind, would abandon such exquisite gems?" Mr. Okina stated. "They shine like the sun and have colors that shame a rainbow."

Meanwhile, just outside of the Aoiya, Yahiko still awaited for someone to return to the alley hoping to pick up the stones. He sighed from boredom and placed his wooden sword on his shoulder.

"Man, I wish I never said that I'd do this job." He uttered. "It's so boring. I wish I could go back in and see those stones again." It was then that he looked up and saw the bright light bellowing from the windows of the Aoiya. "Wait a minute. Is that light coming from those stones?" But just as he had finished that statement, another flash of light emerged at the corner of his eye. There was a sudden impact and the dust flew into the air in a great cloud.

Sora and the others had arrived on the back of Zeke.

"Thanks Zeke." Sora said and withdrew the dragon back into the steel of his blade. He placed the sword back into the sheath at his side.

"This must be the place." Donald said. "The stones must be here." Sora gazed around and happened to lay his eyes on Yahiko.

"Hey kid!" Sora shouted. "Come here."

"Are you the ones who left the stones in the alleyway?" Yahiko asked.

"So you know about the power stones then?" Riku asked.

"Power stones?"-

"There's not much time to talk right now!" The KH group rushed into the Aoiya.

"Hey! Wait a minute!" Yahiko went running after them.

Sora and the others ran up the stairs and flung open the door where Miss Kaoru and the others were located. They looked at the KH group curiously.

"Close that box!" Sora cried.

"Who are you?" Miss Kaoru asked.

"No time!" Riku shouted and rushed forward, he shut the box quickly, pushing the spectators aside.

"Hey! What's the big idea barging in here!" Misao demanded. "Who the heck are you guys!"

"Now's not good to be asking us that!" Mickey replied. "You're all in grave danger!"

"What do you mean!"-

"Don't you realize that these stones accumulate a great amount of light!" Riku said.

"So what's the problem?" Miss Kaoru asked.

"That's the problem!" Riku pointed out towards the end of the street. The party turned to see what looked like free shadows billowing up in a misty like fashion.

"What on earth is that?" Mr. Okina asked.

"That's the problem we were talking about." Sora explained.

It was at that moment that a voice began to shout out from outside.

"Miss Kaoru, Yahiko, Miss Misao, Sir Okina!" it cried. Kaoru looked out to see a carriage and a mounted horse pull up to the Aoiya. From the carriage, Kenshin appeared.

"Kenshin?" Miss Kaoru said. She began to cheer. "Kenshin, Kenshin! You're back!" They heard the party run up the stairs. Kenshin, Sanosuke, Saito, and Sojiro appeared through the door. "Kenshin, you've come back to us!"

"Miss Kaoru!" Kenshin said. "We have to get these stones out of here!"

"But why!"-

"We're attracting trouble!"-

The misty shadows continued to edge themselves forward. They were only 200 yards away from the doorsteps of the Aoiya.

"What'll we do?" Misao asked.

"They're after the stones." Riku said. "Just give them to us and we'll hide them in a secure place."

"You still haven't told us who you guys are!" Yahiko said. "It's time you explain yourselves."

"We're the members of the KH group." Sora began. Each introduced himself to Kenshin's party. "I'm Sora."

"I'm Riku."-

"Mickey."-

"Donald Duck."-

"Name's Goofy."-

"We're here to retrieve those power stones." Sora continued.

"They're called power stones?" Miss Kaoru asked. "What do they do?"

"They are able to enhance the working ability of sophisticated electrical technology."-

"You mean like locomotives and steam ships?"-

"Nothing like that, we're talking about real sophisticated technology. The fact of the matter is that Kahn has arrived to take the stones."-

"Who's Kahn?" asked Misao.

"The master of the dark element and second in command of the Cavendish Shinobis." Riku said. "He's come from our world to get them back from this world."

"You mean you guys are from another world?" Kenshin asked.

"That would explain the clothing." Sanosuke uttered.

"Now is not the time for further mindless conversation." Saito said. "We already have the necessary information. Right now, what should concern us more is the matter at hand." He pointed out to the misty darkness which was now about a hundred yards from the Aoiya.

"What'll we do?" Misao asked. The group looked on to see the mist approach. But as the mist reach the one hundred yard mark, it stopped advancing. The shadows suddenly disappeared and four individuals appeared.

Misao happened to gaze at the faces of the individuals and pointed out a very familiar one.

"Look!" she cried. "It's Lord Aoshi!"

"Aoshi?" Mr. Okina uttered.

"What's Aoshi doing over there?" Kenshin wondered.

"Aoshi Shinomori!" added Yahiko. "It can't be."

"Lord Aoshi!" Misao cried and began jumped from the second story, onto the streets below. "Lord Aoshi!"

"Miss Misao, stop!" Kenshin ordered.

"But Himura…?"-

"Take a look. That is not the Aoshi you know."-

Misao looked at the face of her lord and realized that Aoshi's eyes were completely green, Iris, pupil, and all. She backed away.

"What's wrong with him?" Miss Kaoru wondered.

"He's been possessed." Sojiro said.

"How do you know?" Yahiko asked.

"Because the same look is on Mr. Shishio's face."-

"Mr. Shishio!"-

"Mr. Shishio?" asked Kaoru. The team backed off from Sojiro.

"You're a member of Shishio's group!" Yahiko shouted.

"I am." Sojiro replied.

"What the heck is he doing here?" Miss Kaoru demanded.

"Right now, Miss Kaoru." Kenshin intervened. "Sojiro is on our side that he is."

"But how?"-

"I want to save Mr. Shishio just as much as you want to save your friends." Sojiro explained. "I don't want to see him manipulated in such a way."

"Which one is Shishio anyway?" Yahiko asked.

"That one second from the right." The group gazed upon the face of the man in bandages.

"So that is Makoto Shishio." Mr. Okina uttered.

"Like Mr. Aoshi Shinomori, Mr. Shishio has been manipulated by Kahn as well." Sojiro said. "Even Mr. Usui was easily taken over by Kahn."

"Usui the Blind Sword." Saito said. "He must be the one with blindfold."

"Kahn. So, he must be the one in the black cloak." Sora said. "He's our guy, Riku."

"One more Shinobi before we reach General Kai." Riku replied. "Just one more Shinobi." Riku jumped from the second story and joined Misao. Sora, Donald, Mickey, and Goofy descended as well. Pretty soon, all the fighters within the Aoiya, except for Mr. Okina, jumped from the second story to confront the four.

"So, I see you've managed to make it here in time." Kahn chuckled.

"Let those three go, Kahn!" Riku said.

"Do you detest my methods?"-

"You're using others to do the fighting for you by the looks of it!"-

"You're right, Riku. This is one particular scenario where I don't intend to get my hands dirty. I am the only member of the Cavendish Shinobis who is capable to manipulating others like this. Even General Kai does not know about this tactic!"-

"Mr. Shishio!" Sojiro cried. "Please listen to me! You would never allow anyone to control you like this! Try to break free!" But Shishio only laughed.

"It's no use trying to shout out to him, boy!" Kahn said. "Your voice can no longer reach him! He opened his heart to the darkness by causing pain and suffering! By engaging in evil deeds without repentance, or sense of justice, but only for mere pleasure, you consume yourself in darkness and are easily manipulated."

"I see." Riku uttered. "You manipulate the evil and hate within one's heart. Those three must have had issues and were easy to bring under your control. Only those not pure of evil can't be taken under your control."

"That's correct, Riku. And the grip I hold on them is too strong for sentimental words to break! They have been placed completely under my control and there are only two ways of breaking it. One is for you to kill the possessed individual and the second is to kill the one who possessed them. Meaning you will never save them unless you kill me first. However, don't think that you can just waltz up to me and take a crack. I won't make it easy for you." He snapped his fingers and his three servants drew their weapons, their eyes turned a bright green and frightened some members of Kenshin's group. "In order to get to me, you'll have to go through them first."

"That shouldn't be too much of a challenge." Saito uttered as he stepped forward.

"Saito, what are you doing?" Kenshin asked.

"What does it look like, Battousai. I'm going to eliminate them."-

"You can't!" Misao shouted. "Lord Aoshi is amongst them."

"And so is Mr. Shishio!" Sojiro added.

"To you, their lives are precious. But as far as I can see, they are only another threat that dares to disturb the piece of the government. As former leader of the 3rd Shinsengumi squad, I have sworn to maintain the peace of the Meiji government. I continued to follow the old saying of the Shinsengumi 'Aku Soku Zan.' Slay evil immediately."-

"You certainly are full of yourself." Kahn uttered. "Think you can take them on by yourself."

"I won't be alone in this fight. Even if I did fall, I would have no regrets. As a former member of the Shinsengumi, we follow the way of the samurai and fleeing before an enemy is not an option. Therefore, I will either win, or die."-

"An excellent analogy of the situation and giving yourself only two options? That works in my favor even more. There's no possible way for you to take the former. So it'll have to be the latter."-

It was then that they heard the sound of running feet. Suddenly, from all around them, police of Kyoto, at least five thousand strong, came rushing into the vicinity, to confront the four from all directions.

"We've come to your aid, Sir." One of the policemen said to Saito.

"Excellent." Saito replied.

Kahn looked around to find himself surrounded by five thousand officers. But still, he chuckled.

"You fools think that you have the upper advantage now!" he bellowed. "Fools! Who do you think I am! Do you think that having overwhelming numbers are going to affect the outcome of this fight!"

"You think you can take on five thousand police officers all at once?" Yahiko shouted.

"Watch me."-

"You shouldn't have said anything, kid." Sojiro said.

"What do you mean?" Yahiko asked.

"If you could've only seen what he did before, you would have known to keep your mouth shut."-

Kahn turned to the masses of policemen. Suddenly, a shadowy essence began to build up around him.

"Now witness true devastation! Shadow Death Wave!" Kahn threw out his arms and a wave of darkness spread throughout the masses of the police. Within an instant of contact with the dark wave, the police fell dead to the ground. Immediately, Saito, Kenshin's group, and the KH group realized what it was they were really dealing with.

"Oh my God!" Sora uttered in fear. "Did you see what he did?"

"He managed to kill all the police officers, in that direction, with just one attack."-

The other officers began to back of slowly.

"Oh no you don't." Kahn said. "I won't let you escape." All the police officers were suddenly frozen in place. Again Kahn began to power up and the dark element began to resonate within him.

"Enough!" Sora shouted as he rushed forward. He deployed Tundra Canister and thrust the ice at Kahn. Kahn was taken by surprise and nearly was caught in the barrage of shattering shards. One shard managed to graze his hand and it froze his fingers into ice.

"You little bastard! How dare you deprive me of my declaration and make me look like a fool!" He roared as he regained his stance. He pointed to all his enemies. "Kill them all!" Shishio, Aoshi, and Usui began their assault against the KH group and Kenshin's group.

"What'll we do?" Miss Kaoru asked.

"There's only one thing we can do." Kenshin replied. "We'll have to fight them. But make sure not to kill any of them."

Kenshin drew out his reverse blade sword and prepared for battle. Shishio, Aoshi, and Usui engaged in battle with the Kenshin group.

At the same time, the KH group began their attack against Kahn.

"This ends here and now, Kahn!" Sora shouted as he lunged forward.

"Imbeciles!" Kahn replied. "Let's see how you enjoy this! Darkness Shurikens!" Suddenly five dark blades appeared. Sora was struck with one causing the others to evade.

"Sora!" cried Riku. "Are you alright!" Sora stood up and looked at his body. There was no wound, no blood emerging.

"I'm alright." Sora replied. But this time, he sounded a bit mellow toned.

"You sound like you don't have any energy."-

"I don't know. There was something about that dark element that just caused me to lose energy, or something…" Sora then realized what had happened.

"Have seconds!" Kahn suddenly shouted and deployed another wave of Darkness Shurikens. This time, Sora managed to dodge that assault. He rolled over to Riku's side as Donald, Mickey, and Goofy began their attack.

"He's using the same type of darkness that the Heartless used." He explained. "With every hit taken, your heart is slowly swallowed up into darkness. With every injury he inflicts on us, we lose both physical and spiritual energy, but we don't gain any physical wounds in the process."-

"That's how he was able to kill all those police men." Riku replied. "He overwhelmed their hearts with the dark element."

"Unlike the Heartless however, Kahn seems to dish out his attacks with greater effect, at least ten times. But we still have the advantage. The Curaga spell and the potions and ethers should have total effect in this fight."-

"Excellent plan!" Riku shouted out of Mickey and the others. "Mickey! He's using the same dark element as the Heartless! Kahn won't inflict any physical wounds with the dark element, so Curaga and potions should work a hundred percent in this battle!"

"That's great?" Mickey replied. He turned to Goofy and Donald. "You heard what he said!"

"Loud and clear!" Donald replied. The duck began to deploy Curaga to the combatants. Sora was the first to feel the effect of the Curaga spell and he filled with a great energy.

"Thanks Donald!" he replied.

"Don't mention it!"-

"Shall we then!" Sora said to Riku.

"I'm way ahead of you!" Riku replied.

They drew their blades and began their attack against the infamous master of the dark element. But Kahn, even though overhearing the flaw in the dark element, he was still calm in his fighting and gestures.

"So they figured out the flaw eh?" Kahn said. "Well, it doesn't matter. I too have a few surprises in for them."

Meanwhile, the fight against Kahn's three possessed warriors gave the Kenshin hell. Miss Misao, Miss Kaoru and the other members of the Kyoto Oniwaban group tried to evade the attacks from Aoshi Shinomori and his double Kodachi attacks. At the same time Kenshin and Sanosuke, even Sojiro with Yahiko watching on, fought the might of Makoto Shishio. And Saito took on Usui alone.

"I don't understand what you're trying to get at, Kenshin." Sanosuke said as the continued to dodged Shishio's blade. "How they heck are we supposed to beat him and not kill him."

"We have to somehow get through to them." Kenshin replied. "I know Shishio. He would never allow anyone to tell him what to do."

"That much is clear. But even if he were brought back to normal, he'd only go back to his twisted ways and try to kill us again."-

"But at least we'd have a good reason to stop him then."-

"Damn it, Kenshin! Why do you always have to be so stubborn! But I guess you'd never have it any other way!"-

"Please, Mr. Shishio!" Sojiro cried. "Come back! Don't let that guy control you!"

"I don't think so!" Shishio uttered. He suddenly stopped fighting. "To tell you the truth, I'm glad that I was possessed."

"What are you talking about, Shishio!" Kenshin asked.

"It's quite simple. Due to me being possessed and giving in to the darkness, I was able to achieve this little ability." Shishio suddenly began to levitate himself into the air. He then suddenly rushed forward and attacked with this sword drawn out of his sheath. "Now that I have an aerial advantage, you will not be able to defeat me so easily." He flicked his sword against a lone stone and his sword caught fire. He slashed at Kenshin.

"Mr. Himura! Watch out!" Sojiro shouted. "That's Mr. Shishio's secret sword one technique, the Homuradama!"

"You certainly change sides very quickly don't you, Sojiro!" Shishio roared. "After all I've done for you, after everything I've taught you, you decide to side with the Battousai!"

"You are no longer the Mr. Shishio I knew you as! You've decided to become someone else's slave!"-

"Slave you say! Tell me Sojiro! Is it slavery when you achieve a great power from someone! I now have the ability to fly! And to fly gives me a total advantage over you all! Even you Battousai can't make a move without me observing it from here!"-

"Shishio! You were planning to take over this country!" Kenshin said. "But at least you did it on your own free will! But now you fight as a slave, a disposable pawn!"

"You go ahead and talk!" Shishio chuckled. "I've never felt better! With this new ability, my victory will be guaranteed." Shishio began his descent and attacked down against the three visible targets. "Now be good little boys and tell me where the power stones are!"

At the same time, Aoshi began his run, deploying some of his double Kodachi attacks.

"Lord Aoshi!" Misao cried. "Please stop this!"

"That is something that I cannot do." Aoshi uttered. "I've been given a great strength that'll defeat the Battousai! In return for being given this great strength, I will kill you all and retrieve the power stones."

"That's what this is about?" Misao said. "But why would you want them?"

"I don't know the reason why Kahn wants them, but he says that this power will be mine, permanently, if I fulfill that request."-

"This is why you allowed yourself to be possessed?"-

"Right now, I only wish to defeat the Battousai and achieve the title of the strongest! Nothing more! Everything else is insignificant!"-

"Is that what you think nowadays, Lord Aoshi?" Misao cried. "How could you allow yourself to be blinded by such a weak motive!"

"It is not a weak motive. It is something that I've strived to take all these years! And no one, not the Battousai, not the members of the Kyoto Oniwaban group, not even you will stand in my way of achieving this goal. Back down now and make your deaths quick."-

"We can't allow that, Aoshi!" Miss Kaoru shouted. "If we must die, then we'll die fighting!"

"If that is what you want, then that is what you will get!" Aoshi suddenly began to levitate himself. Suddenly, he vanished from their sights, appeared in the air and slammed himself down into the ground. There was a bright flash of energy and a mighty explosion. As the dust settled, half of the Aoiya was destroyed and the entire Oniwaban group had been knocked out, their bodies mangled amongst the wreckage. Aoshi stood up and wiped the dust from his coat. "That was easier than I thought." He turned to the Aoiya. "The power stones must be in the Aoiya." He began to walk towards the wrecked building when he suddenly heard rustling behind him. Misao managed to stagger to her feet.

"I won't let you to get to those stones…" she uttered. "Turn and fight me, Aoshi Shinomori!"

"Your part in this is over." Aoshi replied. "Now, there is nothing that'll stop me from getting those stones and achieving my ultimate power."

"So you won't fight me, Shinomori! Is that it! Then, you're a coward! You are afraid of me! And you wish to be called the strongest!" Aoshi sneered and turned to face Misao. "You are no longer the man that I looked up to and loved! You've thrown your soul and your pride as former leader of the Oniwaban group for the sake of power! If that's true, then I have no other choice, but to fight you! What's wrong, Shinomori! You don't want to fight me because you're scared! Is that it! So much for being the strongest!"

"You wish to insult me, Misao?"-

"Don't call me that! You are dead in my mind now! You are just another murderous freak of nature!"-

"Then, you will pay with your life." His drew his Kodachis and began to advance. "I will show you just how powerful I am. But I will bide my time and take you apart little by little."

"Then, bring it on, Shinomori!"

As Kenshin, Sanosuke, Sojiro, and Yahiko were trying to negotiate with Shishio, and Misao stood alone against Aoshi, Saito began his attack against the infamous Usui the blind sword.

"It seems that Shishio and Shinomori have achieved incredible talents from Kahn." Saito said. "Tell me, what type of technique are you capable of?"

"I have a technique even better than those two. You may say that I have the ability to create my own armies." Usui chuckled. He suddenly took off his blindfold, revealing the sockets of his eyes. They suddenly began to glow a bright green. "Oh yes, and another thing Saito, because I gave up my soul for Kahn's gifts, he restored my sight. So Usui the Blind Sword is no longer an appropriate title for me."

"I guess you were tired of wandering about in the dark, eh?" Saito chuckled. "Then maybe this fight will be more interesting." Saito unsheathed his sword. "So tell me of this other gift you received from Kahn besides your restored sight.

"I'm sure you'll find this most impressive." Usui noticed that there were still an estimated five hundred police officers about in the area. He turned towards them and suddenly unleashed a wave of shadows. The police were overcome by the shadows. There was a sudden death scream that accumulated for ten seconds before it finally died down. As the shadows cleared, the police officers emerged with their eyes glowing the same green color as Usui. They jumped from their rafters and emerged from the woodwork and placed themselves next to Usui. "You see, Saito? Thanks to Kahn, I now have the ability to take control of all impure souls. And it appears that we have a great number of bad eggs. Each officer obtained a sense of hatred towards us because of what happened to their comrades. All I have to do is take advantage of that single spark and I could easily manipulate them to do my bidding. I could do the same to you, Saito, but I would rather see you squirm with your tail between your legs as you fight your fellow officers. And these officers who don't even know that they're being manipulated by me. As far as they know, they are still fighting for the side of righteousness. Do you really think that you can slay them?"

"On the contrary," Saito explained, "because they have sided with you, they have sided with the way of chaos. And as the former leader of the 3rd squad of the Shinsengumi, I continue to live under my own brand of justice, that of "Aku Soku Zan." Unlike my men, there is no darkness in my heart. The reason for that is because I bear no grudges, or any sentiment of hate whatsoever. All I know is that those who dare to disturb the peace of this nation will be trialed by our laws and our way."

"So you say you have no darkness in your heart, eh? Then, let's find out!" The shadows suddenly covered Saito. But unlike the officers, there was no death scream. Only silence reverberated when Saito was consumed. As the shadows diminished, Saito still stood with that same smirk on his face. "Impossible!"

"Impossible you say?" Saito said as he crouched down to perform his infamous Gatotsu. "As I said, I live by the say of "Aku Soku Zan." And by abiding by that philosophy, I will always fight to see peace maintained here, so long as the Wolf of Miboo continues to draw breath."

"No matter!" Usui chuckled. "If I can't manipulate you to join me, then I will kill you!"

"You really expect for me to be defeated by five hundred manipulated police officers?"-

"Of course not! They're only acting as a shield to prevent you from escaping. The only one you have to worry about is me!" He drew out his weapons the, Timbey tortoise shell shield and the Lochin.

"Then let us begin!" The two charged against each other, Usui with his Lochin and Timbey and Saito with his Gatotsu.

"You fool!" Usui chuckled. "Now with my sight restored, I can see your every move!" he suddenly began to strike with one of his signature attacks. "Bonken Bungyoku Hyakka Ryouran!" Usui deployed a multi thrust attack which cut Saito several times. But at the same time, Saito had managed to hit the counterweight at the end of Usui's Lochin. There was a sudden explosion and the counterweight was destroyed instantly. Saito withdrew from the attack and emerged with only three cuts.

"Most impressive." Saito said. "However, if that's the best you have…"

"Your Gatotsu is no more effective though. It is in fact worthless now that I have the ability to see it in living color!" Saito crouched again to renew his Gatotsu. "Yet you still use Gatotsu. The Shinsengumi were known to heighten their favorite attack to the utmost level. But if that is all you have, then you truly are in trouble."

"A mongrel dog that ducks its tail and runs away should not bark!" Saito attacked with his full Gatotsu against Usui, but Usui threw out his shield before him. "I don't know what you have hidden behind that shield, but there's nothing that this Gatotsu can't pierce!" But as his sword made contact, it was thrown off.

"Hidden behind it?" Usui chuckled. "What do you think! I used the shells roundness to evade the thrust! Then I throw the shield in front of my enemy, blocking his vision. Then, I strike with this Lochin!" He took his spear and thrust it deep into Saito's left leg. Saito backed off, his leg severely wounded. "This is the ultimate attack passed on from the royal family of my homeland, Ryukyu used for the Timbey and Lochin."

"Most impressive indeed." Saito said. "However…" He crouched down to perform the Gatotsu again.

"You still intend to fight me even after I have wounded you on the left leg? You know that the Gatotsu will not have the same effect as it did before. Although the wound I gave you wasn't fatal, it'll certainly slow down your thrust."-

"Despite such a wound, that'll not stop me from continuing my efforts."-

"So be it, Saito! Come forth!"-

Again Saito thrust forward. But the Gatotsu was thrown off the roundness of the Timbey shield and again Usui lunged his spear in for the kill. This time, it was Saito's right leg. Saito had to back off again.

"Well, that was a most impressive bit of effort." Usui chuckled. "I don't want to kill you yet! Instead, I want to see you wither away like a flower in flames." Usui snapped his fingers and the five hundred possessed policemen surrounded Saito.


	9. The Fight Escalates

The Fight Escalates

Makoto Shishio was not making it easy for Kenshin, Sanosuke, Yahiko, and even Sojiro, who had been loyal to him since the day they met. Using his aerial advantage now, Shishio was able to predict ever move that Kenshin and his friends made.

"Damn it!" Sanosuke said, frustratingly. "How the hell are we supposed to beat this guy if he knows where we're gonna go all the time?"

"We have to somehow lure him into a trap." Kenshin replied.

"But if he continues to have the advantage from the air, we can't see the moves he'll make, but he's able to see everything we do." Yahiko uttered as he came into the open."

"Mr. Shishio!" Sojiro cried. "Please stop this!"

"And give up this great power I've achieved?" Shishio replied. "I don't think so! Make it easy for yourself, Sojiro! You and I have always been allies! Join me! Turn on the Battousai and his friends and we could get rid of them all so easily! Then, we can rule all of Japan with nobody to stop us!"

"Don't listen to him, Sojiro." Kenshin warned. "You remember what he did to you? He nearly killed you! He's no longer the same Shishio that either you, or any of us knew him for! He's being manipulated!"

"The only way for me to break this hold on Mr. Shishio is to take out Kahn!" Sojiro said. He began his rush towards Kahn, where Riku, Sora, and the rest of the KH group battled fiercely.

"Deprive me of my new abilities Sojiro!" Shishio roared. He rushed against Sojiro and beat the young boy off his feet. Sojiro slammed into one of the walls of an abandoned house.

"Mr. Shishio…"-

"I've gained a great strength! And I have Kahn to thank for that! But the minute he dies, I go back to normal! Do you really think I'll allow even you, Sojiro to deprive me of such a gift!"-

"Mr. Shishio please!"-

Suddenly, Shishio swooped down and slashed Sojiro with his Homuradama. Sojiro was slashed and burned by his sword. Sojiro struck the wall again and fell limp to the ground, not from exhaustion, but from shock.

"Sojiro!" Kenshin cried as he ran to the young boy's side. He knelt beside him. "Sojiro, are you OK?" Kenshin was suddenly shocked by what he saw. Sojiro, the one member of the Juppongatana who was incapable of showing emotions, began to cry. He cried out.

"Why, Mr. Shishio! Why!" he sobbed. Kenshin placed his hand on Sojiro's shoulder. Sojiro laid his head on Kenshin's chest and began to weep uncontrollably.

"You see what you've done!" Kenshin shouted. "How could you just throw Sojiro aside like that after being so loyal to you!"

"Sojiro is irrelevant to me now!" Shishio replied. "Because I have gained a great strength, I no longer need him to be around me! The weak only serve the purpose of being food for the strong!"

"You mean despite his dedication to you, he is merely food in your eyes?"-

"Exactly!"-

"Mr. Shishio…" Sojiro uttered.

"Listen to me, Sojiro! I never needed you from the start! I took you in so that I could make you strong! When I needed you, you'd be there to always do my bidding! However, now that I have gained this great strength, you are no longer needed! With flight ability, I could finish a battle within a matter of seconds if I wanted to."-

"You betrayed me! You betrayed my trust! You betrayed my feelings! Why, Mr. Shishio!"-

"It was you who betrayed my, Sojiro! You would not join me for the greater cause and so you meet your end by my hand!" Shishio landed to the ground. "Shall we then!"

"I've had enough of you!" a voice suddenly shouted. Shishio turned to see Sanosuke coming at him at full speed. "You're going down Shishio! Futae no kiwami!" Using that same special attack used by Anji, Sanosuke slammed his fist into Shishio's face. However, Shishio was unscathed by the attack. Sanosuke couldn't believe what he saw. "That's impossible."

"You idiot!" Shishio said. "If you intend to ever go head to head with me, then you'll have to close the gap between the obvious differences in our levels of strength!" Shishio punched Sanosuke in the head. Sano flew back and hit one of the homes. His head spurted out blood and Sanosuke lay there, motionless.

"Sano!" Kenshin cried. He sneered at Shishio.

"Well that was easy enough."-

"You'll pay for that!"-

"And how do you plan on countering that, Battousai?"-

"Using the one attacked that I gained with the ultimate! Kuzu ryu sen!" Kenshin suddenly deployed a powerful attack that hit all nine areas of Shishio's body at the same time. Shishio was his simultaneously and was sent flying into the wall of an abandoned house. The attack was so great that Shishio broke through the wall itself. But only in a matter of seconds, Shishio was back on his feet.

"Tell me, Battousai." Shishio chuckled. "Is that the best you have?"

"It can't be…" Kenshin uttered to himself. "How could he be able to withstand an attack from the Kuzu ryu sen?"

"Now let's see how you like one of my techniques." Shishio rushed forward, deploying his Homuradama. The flames ignited and encircled Kenshin. Kenshin flinched, blinded by the flames. He suddenly felt a strong hand clutch the front of his shirt. Shishio was suddenly seen, holding Kenshin in the air, with his sword placed on his black glove. "I told you that you should go out with a bang. And here it is, the second secret sword technique. Guren Kaina!" Shishio streaked his blade across his glove and sparks ignited. His glove was made entirely of gunpowder and the gauntlet exploded in Kenshin's face. Kenshin fell back and hit the ground. There he lay motionless, unconscious from the attack.

"Oh no! Kenshin!" Yahiko cried out. He ran to Kenshin's side and nudged him. "Kenshin! Kenshin! Wake up please! You gotta get up! We need you!"

"Well, I must say," Shishio uttered, "I didn't think that the Battousai would be done in so easily. I guess in the end, there can only be one who stands the tallest! And I, Makoto Shishio am the strongest man in all of Japan!"

"You think that this is over!" Yahiko drew his wooden sword. "You haven't gotten rid of me yet! I'll fight in Kenshin's place!"

"Sorry, but I don't have time to mess with brats like you."-

"What'd you say! I'll have you know that I've learned some of Kenshin's techniques because I was always there to witness it first hand! Stand and fight, Makoto Shishio! What's the matter, are you scared of me?"-

"You like to talk big don't you, you little squirt. You might have some potential! Say, why don't you side with me. I could teach you a lot of tricks on how to be stronger!"-

" I'd never wanna side with someone like you! Your definition of strength is wrong! You plan on fighting to kill and dispose with the weak! Well, let me tell you, I used to be weak until I met Kenshin! He's the one who turned my entire life around! If it wasn't for him, I'd still be picking pockets for a bunch of thugs!" Yahiko threw his sword before him.

"Then, if you wish to fight the strongest man in all of Japan, then take your best shot, kid. Just don't cry if you get hurt!"

"Bring it on Shishio!"-

"I'll make it easy for you for the first round. After that, you better say your prayers! Now that you have challenged me, your death is assured, kid!" Shishio rushed forward in flight and deployed his Homuradama.

Yahiko managed to dodge the attack, receiving a few slight burns. But in the process, Shishio's sword managed to cut through his wooden sword like a hot knife through butter. Yahiko fell to the ground. He gazed at his sword and couldn't believe what had happened. Just a few seconds after he declared to fight Shishio, his life would end at Shishio's hands.

"It can't be." Yahiko uttered. "It's all over like that?"

"I hope you won't take this personally!" Shishio chuckled and deployed another Homuradama. This time, Yahiko was within an effect striking distance of the attack and all seemed over for the young boy. It was then that someone stepped in front of Yahiko like lightning. It was Sojiro. He placed himself in front of Yahiko and the slash and flames cut through the delicate skin on his chest. Sojiro fell to the ground after that sudden attack. But at the same time, he managed to draw his sword, but to what effect. "So Sojiro, protecting the weak like the Battousai? Using yourself as a shield to protect a boy you don't even know."

"It's not a sign of weakness, Mr. Shishio." Sojiro uttered as he grasped at the wound on his chest.

"Sojiro…" Yahiko uttered. "Why did you do that?"

"I didn't want you to have to meet the same terrifying fate as I did when I was small, Yahiko." Sojiro lay his head down on the ground. Yahiko drew himself closer to his side.

"Why would you, a member of Shishio's group, do that for me?"-

"Because I realize now that weakness comes from those who don't do anything to stop something from happening. To help someone is not a weakness, but strength."-

"Well now, Sojiro," Shishio said, "You used the Shukuchi to close the distance between you and this kid so that you could shield him with your body in time. But what have you achieved in the process? Nothing much, I can tell you that."-

"But I realize that protecting someone is meaningful. I saved Yahiko's life and for that, I am happy. Mr. Himura's way to protect is more complicated and more demanding that what you ever taught me, Mr. Shishio. It's easy to kill, but it's much harder to save a life than it is to take it. To endure such a responsibility is true strength."-

"But it still hasn't changed the fact that you'll meet your end here and now."-

As Shishio confronted Sojiro and Yahiko, the last still standing against the leader of the former Juppongatana, Miss Misao was have an equally hard time fighting against her former lord, Aoshi Shinomori. He had struck with the same devastating explosion attacks three times and blew Misao away every time. With every attack deployed, Misao lost more energy. The explosions caused her conscious awareness to be cut in half. After the last explosion, she slowly stood up and gazed about at the blurred figure of Aoshi Shinomori.

"You will make this easier if you give yourself up and hand over the power stones." Aoshi uttered. "There's no need for you to suffer anymore that you already have, Misao."

"I will not give up!" Misao uttered. "Not even to you, Aoshi Shinomori! You are no longer the man I used to look up to! You are no longer the man I loved! That man is dead! There is only a soulless copy who wants to get his hands on some kind of trinket! But I won't let you have them!"

"Your suffering will continue if you insist on fighting me."-

"If I must fight against you, then I will!"-

"Then your death is assured, Misao." With his two Kodachis draws, Aoshi performed one of his deadlier attacks. "Double Kodachi, Onmyo Hasshi!" He threw both blades at Misao. Misao dodged both by the skin of her teeth, but Aoshi lunged forward and kneed her in the face. Misao went blank for the moment, blood dripped from her lip now. She gazed up at her former lord and mentor. Aoshi had a sinister smile on his face, as if he enjoyed pummeling her.

"This is not the same Lord Aoshi." She thought to herself. "Lord Aoshi would never want to hurt me. He would never lift a finger to harm me. It's true then, his soul is gone completely."

"And so, Misao," Aoshi uttered, levitating himself into the air for another explosion attack, "I will end your life here and now!" He rushed forward, with both Kodachis drawn, at incredible speed. "Double Kodachi Goho Juuji!" There was a sudden slash and a grand explosion erupted, blowing half of the demolished Aoiya away. As the dust settled, Aoshi had carried out his attack successfully, but there was no Misao there to receive the attack. Aoshi looked around with his gleaming green eyes. "Gone? She can't be. The impact didn't have that great an effect."

"You know, I don't like guys like you who pick on poor little girls." A voice shouted out from above. Aoshi looked up to see a figure shadowed in the sun's rays. The figure landed on to the ground on his feet. He wore a grand white cape with a standing red collar. "Sorry that I'm a little late."

Misao, safely cradled in the figures arms, looks up. When gazing at the face of her rescuer, she realizes who it is.

"You're Himura's master." She uttered. "Seijuro Hiko."

"Are you alright?"-

"Yes, I am. Thank you."-

"Good." Seijuro placed Misao down on the ground. Misao was able to stand up, staggering slightly.

"So, another one dares to stand in the way of the strongest." Aoshi said.

"It seems like you have some issues to sort out." Seijuro replied. "But if you wanna take your aggression out on someone, then take it out on me."

"It would be wise for you to stay out of the way."-

"Well, I wouldn't know. I'm not wise."-

"Then you shall die!" Aoshi suddenly rushed forward with incredible speed. "Double Kodachi Kaiten Kenbu Rokuren!"

But before Aoshi could make any effective move, Seijuro charged forth at full speed with his Kuzu ryu sen. Aoshi was knocked off his feet and ended up slamming into a wall, two hundred feet from where he was. There he lay, unconscious and motionless.

"Lord Aoshi…" Misao uttered. "I'm sorry."

"Sorry for what?" Seijuro asked. "He's just knocked out cold! He'll be alright, though he may have trouble getting up in the morning."

"Right now, we have bigger matters to attend to!"-

It was at that moment that Miss Kaoru and the others began to stir. Misao ran to her side.

"You OK, Miss Kaoru?" she asked.

"I'm fine. How long was I out?" Kaoru replied. She slowly rose onto her knees and dusted herself off. A small cut dripped blood on the side of her head, but other than that, Miss Kaoru was still alive and kicking. The other members of the Oniwaban group stood to their feet as well. "Who defeated Aoshi?"

"Mr. Hiko did."-

"It looks like everyone's alright." Seijuro uttered.

"We might be, but they might not!" Misao said as she pointed out the fighting that was going on against Usui and Shishio that was occurring a hundred and fifty yards away.

"Well, I better go give 'em a hand."-

"Wait for us!" Miss Kaoru said.

"Now listen all of you!" Misao addressed to the Oniwaban. "I want you to stay here and heal your wounds and look after Lord Aoshi! If we manage to defeat Kahn, there's no doubt that Lord Aoshi will return to normal!"

"We gotcha, leader!" the Oniwaban members said. "You take care!"

"I will!" Misao cried and ran after Miss Kaoru and Seijuro, who were heading towards the fight against Shishio.

Meanwhile, on the far side, a stand off was made between Usui and Saito. Saito had been wounded in both legs, so the effect of his Gatotsu was split in half. Usui, along with his five hundred possessed police men, still stood glaring at the Wolf.

"So, Saito," Usui said. "What do you intend to do now? With my Eye of the Heart, there is nothing that you can hide from me! And now that my sight has been restored, I can observe every move you make in living color!"

"You truly are a fool if you think that I will go down so easily." Saito said. He casually walked up to Usui. "For the sake of these gifts given to you by Kahn, your sight, your ability to manipulate the darkness in other people's hearts, you gave up your own desires for the sake of becoming nothing, but a mongrel dog. Someone who can't even hold on to their own beliefs can only be pathetic."

"Certainly, I may have lost everything for the sake of restored sight and a few supernatural techniques, but it was all worth it in the end. I have gained a true strength as a result of my yielding. You say that I am now just a mongrel dog, but I'm a dog that has gained absolute strength and there's nothing that you can do about it."-

"Is that so, you say? What you have gained is absolute power? Well, if you ask me, you've only proven yourself to be even weaker than before. Instead of a secret motivation that moves you, it's the thought of obtaining incredible power. But the situation itself still remains the same. You are still a dog that wags its tail in front of its master."-

"Don't you think you talk too much, Saito? What would you know of these matters?"-

"Do you really think that you've become the strongest? The scenario remains the same. It's just that this time, you've decided to change employers. You joined Shishio, saying that you would kill him. As long as you kept up that notion that you would kill Shishio, no one would ever get suspicious of your tactics. You believed that because you obtained the Eye of the Heart, you had truly gained the edge in strength. However, when confronting Shishio again, you soon realized that he too had become stronger. You thought he couldn't even see your little ploy, but the reality is that he couldn't be that dumb as to be fooled by you. In fact, I'm sure he must've already seen through your heart. All he had to do was pull on the strings of your pride and you dance like a little marionette. Now, with obtaining restored sight and manipulation of the heart's darkness, you once again think that you have the edge in skill. But in truth, you are just a puppet being used by another master. Kahn gave you those gifts in exchange for your services. But if you show any ambitious signs, or any incompetence, he could easily take them away. And killing him unexpectedly won't do you any good. As far as I know, he's seen that you, Shishio, and Shinomori are rather ambitious and may attempt to turn on him. As a result, he linked your powers to his own. He said that the only other alternative to breaking you of his curse was by killing him. That also qualifies to you."-

"Shut up already! You blabber on and on! You don't know what you're talking about! I saw the prospect of what he was going to give me, so I took it! I may not have free will anymore, but at least I obtained an even larger catch!"-

"But you will never be happy with the result of lifetime servitude. It doesn't seem like your style to just give up your personal freedom for the sake of power alone!"-

"Enough!" Usui thrust the shield into Saito's face. "I intend to finish this once and for all! And at this proximity, you'll never be able to use Gatotsu!"

Suddenly, there was a flash of light that resonated around them. With a sudden explosion, the Timbey shield was cut in half and Usui wand flying into a wall. There he hung, with Saito's sword thrust deep into his chest, impaling him on the wall.

"What was that?" Usui uttered. "Was that…Gatotsu?"

"Not like anything you've ever encountered." Saito replied. "The first style is the usual one. The second style thrust diagonally down from above. The third style is used against aerial attacks. But the final attack is Zero style, thrust from the springs in the upper body, at so close a range, that there is no space for movement. I was saving it for when I settle the score with the Battousai. You should feel honored."

"I don't understand. Why could I not see it with my Eye of the Heart?"-

"Choosing to have your eye sight restored was another mistake. If you were smart, you would've kept yourself from ever seeing again. You believed that if you had your sight restored, you'd have an even greater advantage, combining it with your Eye of the Heart. However, you have forgotten just how deceiving your eyesight can be. For that fraction of a second, you only relied on the use of your eyes instead of your Eye of the Heart. As a result, a conflict in your mind began to rise. That is something that can't happen in the midst of battle. Instead, of going by instinct, you decided to think your way through the fight, when your new Eye of the Heart and your sight began to conflict with each other. As a result, you meet your end at the hand of my Gatotsu Zero style!"-

"You never show any mercy…" Usui uttered with his last breath.

"Did you want me to express words of pity before you check out?"-

"Just how long do you think you'll last holding on to your precious Aku Soku Zan in this new Meiji Era…?" With that, Usui went limp and hung dead on Sato's sword.

"I'll do it till I die."-

As Saito watched Usui hang from the wall, the possessed police men returned to normal, looking around, wondering what had happened.

"What happened, Inspector?" one office uttered.

"Nothing of any importance right now." Saito looked at the masses of policemen. "Withdraw from here immediately. I will handle this on my own."

"Yes, sir." With that the remaining police men withdrew from the area. Saito looked around. He then saw that Shishio was still alive and kicking.

"Alright, Shishio, it's your turn." Saito began his advance against the last of Kahn's manipulated pawns.

Shishio, however, was taking his time, as he slowly cut and burned his once extremely faithful subordinate. Sojiro was across the gut, and on the legs, to prevent ever using the Shukuchi to its absolute power. Yahiko could only watch helplessly as Shishio tore his young counterpart bit by bit.

"What's the matter, Sojiro?" Shishio asked. "So far, you haven't even bothered to lift a hand to hinder me. Are you trying to stall for time, or something?"

"I don't want to hurt you, Mr. Shishio! I know you can somehow come back! The Mr. Shishio I knew would never allow himself to be deterred from his own goals for the sake of another, no matter what the compensation in return!"

"I took the side of Kahn at my own will! Because I gave up my own goals, I have been given a strength that I could only dream of before!" Shishio landed on the ground again. "To add, stalling for time will do you know good. So far, the only worthy opponent lies dead on the ground." Sojiro could only look at the mangled body of Kenshin Himura.

"How could I have been so blind?" Sojiro thought to himself. "Mr. Himura was fighting for people like me. Those who never had a grasp on life, or an aspect of its value. I used to kill without a second thought. But it was Mr. Himura's ideals and methods of protecting the weak that has caused me to see something greater than just a contrast between life and death."

"Sojiro!" Sojiro looked up to see Shishio coming straight at him. Sojiro drew out his sword, but the damage had been done. Once again, Shishio deployed the Homuradama and burned him across the shoulder. Sojiro fell back and rolled in the dirt. There, he lay on his back, blood dripping from the few wounds received. Shishio began to walk up to him. "This ends for you, Sojiro. Too bad though. I was hoping that you and I would remain close friends. But apparently, you've decided to dwell amongst the weak."

"That's enough!" a voice shouted. Shishio turned to see Yahiko coming straight at him. But Shishio threw out his fist and knocked the young boy away. Yahiko slammed into the base of a wall and lay there unconscious.

"Last minute heroics won't work right now!" Shishio then turned to Sojiro. "Looks like history does repeat itself. You would've died sooner, or later, Sojiro."

"Mr. Shishio…" Sojiro's eyes filled with tears. Not because he faced death, but because he truly was betrayed by Shishio, the one person who took him in and taught him his battle techniques. Shishio raised his sword above his head, ready to make the last blow.

"Concentrating all your efforts on a single wounded fighter, a boy no less, was a huge mistake!" A voice shouted out. Shishio turned around to see none other that Hajime Saito coming at him with his Gatotsu. "Makoto Shishio! Your head belongs to me!" Shishio struck Shishio straight between the eyes. But Shishio retaliated and slashed at Saito. Saito received a slash wound across the chest and withdrew.

"Since you were a man who was almost like me," Shishio uttered, "I knew that you'd try to ambush me one day." Shishio ripped the cloth from his forehead to reveal a steel head band protecting his forehead. "The reason why I was so easily overtaken, the day they burned me alive, was because I had been shot in the head first. I was taken advantage of because I couldn't move. So that's why I concentrated my defense around here." He pointed to his forehead. "You didn't do enough research did you, Hajime Saito?"

"You have a point there, but I'm not the only one you should worry about now." Saito uttered. Shishio turned to see Seijuro Hiko, Miss Kaoru, and Miss Misao arriving at the scene.

"Well, well, well, so more company has decided to make their presence known."-

Miss Kaoru looked to see Kenshin, Yahiko, and Sanosuke laying prostrated on the ground.

"Oh no! Kenshin!" Kaoru cried. She ran to Kenshin's motionless body. But Shishio suddenly appeared before her. He moved his index finger from side to side in a negative manner.

"Sorry miss, but this is as far as you'll get to the Battousai." Shishio uttered.

"Makoto Shishio!" Miss Kaoru growled.

"So that's Makoto Shishio." Seijuro Hiko uttered. Shishio gazed at the caped figure.

"So you must be the Battousai's master, Seijuro Hiko." Shishio said. "Well, your teaching methods weren't very good were they? The Battousai didn't even put up a good fight. And as a result of his weakness, he now lays dead on the ground like your other friends!"

"It seems you underestimate my stupid apprentice, Shishio."-

Shishio turned to see none other that Kenshin standing up. His shirt torn from his chest, Kenshin stood up again and sheathed his sword.

"Makoto Shishio." Kenshin uttered. "You don't realize it, but the times haven't allowed the end to come for any of the fighters present." Soon after, Sanosuke and Yahiko rose up. Yahiko rubbed the back of his head.

"Man that hurt!" he shouted. He then looked at Kenshin. "Kenshin! You big dummy! Were you just taking a nap all this time!"

"Oro!"-

"Sheesh!" Yahiko then looked at Sano. "You've definitely had better days, Sano!"

"Will you shut up, Yahiko. I didn't see you doing anything constructive all this time."-

"That's because you were unconscious on the ground this whole time!"-

"Makoto Shishio!" Kenshin uttered again. "We finish this!"

"You truly are a fool, Battousai!" Shishio chuckled. "Do you really think that you'll do any better this time around? In your condition, with your strength depleted by half, you'll never be a match for me! And just to prove it to you, I will give you the honor of being killed with my ultimate attack! Secret sword three, the Kagezuchi technique!"

"I can no longer stall." Kenshin said to himself. "If I don't stop him now, he'll still be causing trouble whether he's possessed, or not." Kenshin stood in his Battoujutsu stance.

"Battoujutsu." Shishio said.

"The stance for Battoujutsu." Sanosuke uttered. "So I guess this will end up being a contest of speed."

"Prepare yourself Battousai!" Shishio declared as he levitated himself into the air. "I will bring the law of nature to you!" Shishio charged head on against Kenshin. Dragging his blade across the iron of his sheath, his sword burst into flames. "Behold Battousai, the ultimate attack of my secret swords! The Kagezuchi!"

"The flames are intense!" Sano uttered.

"The flames are certainly impressive." Seijuro Hiko stated. "However, they are only meant as a diversion, to catch Kenshin off guard. The flames are less dangerous than the blade behind them."

"Just as a diversion." Kenshin said to himself. "I must not allow the flames to cloud my judgment."

It was then that Kenshin saw the blade closing in to cut his throat. The blade was no more than an inch away from. But as the blade seemed to make contact, a flash of light bellowed forth. Within seconds, Shishio was suddenly seen, flying through the air, his bandaged body mangled and torn. He fell to the ground with incredible force. His sword lodged itself into the ground.

"What the hell was that?" Sanosuke asked.

"I didn't even see it." Miss Kaoru uttered. "How did Kenshin manage to perform an attack that quickly?"

"For a minute there, I really thought that Kenshin was dead for sure." Yahiko uttered. "Man, oh man, Kenshin is intense!"

"Mr. Himura was fast." Sojiro uttered. "But how could he be able to perform that kind of speed?"

"What was that?"-

"It is the ultimate attack of the Hiten Mitsurugi." Seijuro Hiko uttered.

"What?" Sanosuke asked.

"The ultimate attack of the Hiten Mitsurugi style?" Misao added.

"I can see that my idiot apprentice had managed to pull the attack off so well." Seijuro continued.

"But what is the name of the attack?" Sojiro asked.

"It is called the Amakakeru ryu no Hirameki." Kenshin replied.

"That was incredible, Kenshin." Sanosuke said. "There's no way that Shishio could be able to recuperate after being hit by an attack like that."

But no sooner had Sanosuke said those words, Shishio managed to regain his stance, dusting himself off.

"Well, that was rather interesting." Shishio uttered.

"It can't be." Kenshin uttered.

"How could it be possible for Shishio to stand up after a forceful attack like that?" added Misao.

"It shouldn't even be possible." Seijuro suddenly said. "The Amakakeru ryu no Hirameki is an extraordinary attack and the ultimate of the Hiten Misturugi Style. Any man, no matter how powerful, wouldn't have been able to regain their stamina in only a matter of seconds."

"Oh, I forgot to mention." Shishio said. "With the pledge I gave to Kahn, I was not only given the gift of flight, but he also increased the impact tolerance of my body. So in other words, you wouldn't be able to do any damage to me so long as you continue to use the reverse blade sword. Only the sharpened end of the sword will do any significant damage." Shishio flicked his sword against his iron sheath and released the immense flames of the Kagezuchi technique. "Now back to what I was doing before I was so rudely interrupted!" The flames encircled his sword and Shishio swung it at Kenshin, cutting and burning at the same time. Kenshin however, managed to dodge each slash attack, being burned by the dancing flames of Shishio's sword.

"Come on Kenshin!" Sanosuke cried. "Take him out!"

"The Amakakeru ryu no Hirameki has been rendered useless by Shishio's new powers." Kenshin said. "Not only is he fast and able to levitate himself into the air, but he also has the defensive structure of steel."

"Now watch this!" Shishio suddenly levitated himself into the air. "By combining my aerial advantage, with my speed, strength, and the flames of the Kagezuchi, I am now able to perform a combination attack that'll spread the flames within a hundred yards. So brace yourselves for impact!"

Shishio rose higher and higher into the sky. Then with accelerated speed from the air, Shishio came crashing down into the soil.

"Everyone, take cover!" Kenshin cried. The others cleared the area as Shishio made impact. Kenshin crossed his arms in front of him, ready to take on the flames. The flames quickly spread as Shishio slammed into the soil. The Aoiya and many of the surrounding buildings caught fire. Kenshin was hindered by the flames and was struck back by the incredible sound wave that echoed throughout Kyoto. As the flames and dust diminished, Kenshin was found, prostrated on the ground.

"Well, that went well enough." Shishio chuckled. He walked towards Kenshin, who began to stand up again.

"This battle is in a league of its own." Saito uttered as he continued to watch the fight escalate.

"I never would have thought that Kenshin would have lasted this long." Sanosuke said. "Even after Shishio gained all those magic tricks."

"What now, Battousai?" Shishio said. "Are you gonna try and use the Amakakeru ryu no Hirameki on me again? Since that is the ultimate attack of the Hiten Misturugi, and since I managed to withstand it so easily, this battle's outcome is already decided for."

"I must somehow manage to break through his defense?" Kenshin thought. "But how do I do that? Every attack we laid on Shishio hasn't had any effect. Neither the Kuzu ryu sen, nor the Amakakeru ryu no Hirameki have proved significant. But I must not give up! If I fail now, then everyone will suffer."

"This is the end for you, Battousai!" Shishio came charging full speed against Kenshin. But he suddenly stopped and swung his sword in another direction. From out nowhere, Sojiro appeared, striking at his former master. Both swords connected. Sojiro had performed his ultimate attack, the Shuntensatsu. But because Shishio managed to counter it, he evaded the attack. Shishio however was cut in the side, but not critically damaged. Sojiro however, fell to the ground, a gaping stab wound in his gut.

"Sojiro!" Kenshin cried. Sojiro tried to stand, but fell to the ground. Kenshin sneered at Shishio. "How could you do that to Sojiro, Makoto Shishio! After all his loyalty to you!"

"As I said before if you didn't hear already! Sojiro is of no use to me any further." Shishio replied. "He was a dog who dared to bite the hand that fed him. After an assault on me and siding with you, he has become my enemy. Besides, now that I have obtained a new ultimate power, Sojiro is no longer of any use to me."

"Sojiro." Miss Kaoru ran and held the boy in her arms.

"Is he alright?" Misao asked.

"He's been severely wounded."-

"What can we do to help him?" Yahiko asked.

"Take him back to the Aoiya." Seijuro said. "He can be nowhere near this area."

"Alright."-

"Let me take him back." Seijuro picked up Sojiro and took him back to the Aoiya, while Kaoru, Misao, and Yahiko remained behind to continue supporting the fight.

"You will not get away with this treachery, Makoto Shishio." Kenshin said.

"And who'll stop me?" Shishio replied. "Not even Sojiro, though as fast as he is, was still no match for me. And now you dare to lecture me? It just goes to show you just how powerful I am." Shishio looked about at the combatants who were left. "Anyone dare to take me one on one, eh! How about you rooster head? Or even you, Saito? Or perhaps those two little girls and that boy might want to go head to head with the mighty Makoto Shishio!"

"Leave them out of this!" Kenshin shouted. "This fight is strictly between you and me!" He sheathed his sword again.

"Heh! Once again, you plan on using that useless ultimate attack. Fine then!"-

Shishio ignited his sword again and deployed another Kagezuchi attack. Kenshin took his stance.

"Once again, he takes a stance for Battoujutsu." Saito said.

"Even though Kenshin knows that his ultimate attack had failed the last time, he still attempts to use it and take down Shishio. It's just like Kenshin. In the end, I guess I have to depend on him after all."

"You just never learn do you!" Shishio shouted as he attacked head on. The minute they made contact, Kenshin drew out his sword from the sheath. The swords sparked as both combatants were burned by the flames of Shishio's Kagezuchi. Shishio successfully parried the attack and prepared to deploy a downward slash. But as soon as he prepared to strike, he found himself being drawn in towards Kenshin.

"What's going on?" Shishio thought to himself. "I being drawn towards the Battousai. No, I'm not. It's the air around me that's being drawn to him. The force of his attack was so great that it blew the air away from me. But the effect was delayed because I parried it. And now its being sucked back in and dragging everything with it." Kenshin turned about to make the second strike. "No! He can't hurt me! My body has been super conditioned and can take otherwise intolerable impacts, which I may not have been able to withstand before! There's no way he can break through my defense!" But as soon as he uttered those words, Shishio suddenly remembered the cut in his side, given to him by his former subordinate, Sojiro. He realized what effect it would have if Kenshin's sword would connect. "No! I forgot about that wound! Damn that Sojiro! How could he do this to me!"

At that moment, Kenshin made contact with the gaping wound at Shishio's side. Shishio once again, went flying into the air. But this time, do to the cut in his side, Kenshin's attack caused severe internal damage and Shishio's mouth spurted out blood. The manslayer fell to the ground, causing dust to bellow into the air. Kenshin fell to one knee and leaned on his sword.

"It looks like you have everything under control." Seijuro said when he arrived back at the battlefield.

"How's Sojiro?" Miss Kaoru asked.

"He'll survive. I left him in the hands of the Oniwaban group. They're seeing to his needs as we speak."-

"Good to know that."-

"So Shishio was hit by the full force of the Amakakeru ryu no Hirameki. After experiencing the full extent of power from such an attack, there's no way that he'll be able get up as quickly as he did before."-

"You should have seen it, Mr. Hiko!" Misao said. "I've never seen any thing like it before. When Shishio parried it, he was just drawn in against Himura, closing the distance between the two so that Himura could get a good, effective shot."

"But why is that?" Kaoru asked.

"The Amakakeru ryu no Hirameki accelerates with such incredible speed, it causes a temporary influx of the air within the area of the attack." Seijuro explained. "Even if you were to avoid the fangs of the dragon, the gusting winds would prevent freedom of movement and the claws would rip you apart."

They watched as Shishio, after hitting the ground, would try to stand up.

"He's certainly feeling it now." Saito said.

Suddenly, Shishio, after trying to stagger to his feet, began to scream hysterically and grasp at his body, as if something were occurring from within his body. Saliva began to accumulate at the sides of his mouth as his blood dripped down his wounds. He tried desperately to grasp at the infliction that burned within him.

"That pain he's feeling." Sanosuke uttered. "It's different."

"Whatever it is," Kenshin added, "it must be causing severe stress on his body. His body still obtains the weaknesses as before. He still obtains an abnormally high body temperature. If he continues to fight, his body will continue to increase in its heat."

Shishio slammed his head against the wall and blood gushed from the open wounds, but he managed to nullify the pain in his mind and stood up again.

"This fight isn't over!" Shishio roared.

"Give up now, Makoto Shishio!" Kenshin said. "You can't keep fighting like this!"

"I am the strongest here and my endurance against all of you has proven that!"-

"But it still hasn't changed the facts that you have lost everything." Saito said. "Allowing yourself to be possessed, you have only become a servant to another master and nothing more. It doesn't matter how powerful you think you are, you still are relying on the power of another to keep you nourished. The strong are never dependant on another."

"The same logic applies to you, Shishio." Kenshin added. "You're only strong so long as you have the nourishment you need. But if you are deprived of that nourishment, you become weak. So in reality, no one is strong. Everyone is weak. Every person obtains weakness; even you, who claims to have no flaws."

"I have no flaws!" Shishio shouted. "I have no flaws whatsoever!"

"If that were true," Saito said, "Then you wouldn't be accumulating red steam would you."

The party realized that Shishio's body began to spurt out a bizarre red steam.

"What is that?" Sanosuke asked.

"His body has become so hot that his blood can no longer stay in a liquid form." Saito glared at Shishio. "Even you should realize that a person can't possible survive very long without an ounce of blood running through your veins."

"You're wrong! I will survive because I have the ability to do so! If I can survive being burned alive, then I can certainly survive blood loss!" Shishio turned to Kenshin. "This fight will end here and now, Battousai!"

"Shishio." Kenshin said as he rose to his feet. "You know as well as I that you can't continue like this. Even if I were to lose, you would still have my friend to contend with."

"Then let the fight me! Come what may!" Shishio attacked again with his Kagezuchi technique and began slashing away. But as soon as their swords made contact, Shishio suddenly burst into flames. The manslayer began to scream in agony as his body caught fire.

"Look at that!" Miss Misao said.

"Was that from the Kagezuchi?" Kaoru asked.

"No." Seijuro replied. "His body must have become too hot that it couldn't tolerate the intense heat within him."

"He's like a human torch." Saito said. "The intense heat somehow ignited the oil and fat in his body. He's become spontaneously combustible."

Shishio roared out in agonizing screams. However, within seconds, the agonizing screams turned to maniacal laughter.

"Yes!" They heard Shishio cry. "I have broken my limits and the fires of hell burn strongly within me!" With those final words, Shishio dropped his sword and his mangled body fell to the ground, still burning. As the flames died down, Kenshin approached the cindered body of his former foe.

"So this is how it ends for him." He said.

"So it's all over, right Kenshin?" Yahiko asked.

"Not quite." Kenshin stood up and sheathed his sword. "I suppose we managed to defeat all three of the possessed pawns?"

"Lord Aoshi is still alive." Misao said. "Okina and the other members of the Oniwaban are looking after him."

"You don't have to worry about Usui the Blind Sword." Saito said, walking up to Kenshin. "He's probably reminiscing about the past with Shishio now at the bowels of hell."

"So that only leaves on other foe we have to take care of." Kenshin replied. "And he's the one that possessed those three. Kahn of the Cavendish Shinobis."

"I wonder how Sora, Riku, and those other guys are doing, fighting him?" Yahiko asked.

"There's only one way to find out."-

The group began their trek towards where Sora and the other members of the KH group fought against the power of Master Kahn of the Cavendish Shinobis.

Kenshin and the others would be needed for the final fight against Kahn of the Cavendish Shinobis. Sora, Riku, and the others, despite their abilities were no match for Kahn's strength. And to make matters worse, Kahn had placed himself in the most populated area so the KH team couldn't fight to their full advantage. Having to meticulously use what type of elemental attacks and physical attacks to use, they engaged against Kahn with the limited amount of power they had. Sora deployed a few attacks with the Ragnarok and Ars Arcanum to try and weaken Kahn. But each attack failed as Kahn continued to use his after image technique.

"You'll have to do a little better if you wish to defeat me." Kahn chuckled.

"He's right." Sora said. "By now, he must know how to predict our every move."

"Don't let him intimidate you, Sora." Riku replied. "We have to somehow be able to counter his after image technique."

"And how do you suggest we do that?" Donald asked. "I've been keeping an eye on him this whole time and he doesn't seem to follow any pattern."

"And every time we successfully strike him, he ends up being like some sort of mirage, or shadow and then suddenly appears somewhere else." Mickey added.

"There must be something to his technique." Riku said. "He has to have some sort of flaw."

"But when you're fighting against shadows, the flaws are kind of hard to predict." Sora replied.

"What's wrong boys?" Kahn uttered. He suddenly appeared before them. "Suddenly you seem sluggish and don't want to fight anymore."

"That's not the case at all."-

"Certainly, it is. You can't pull the wool over my eyes. You're flustered and your moral is quickly dropping. But you could make this a lot easier on yourselves just by handing over the power stones."-

"Sorry, but can't do that." Riku replied. "You see, we have this thing about people forcing other people to things they don't want and it's those type of people that we don't like."

"Suit yourselves, but right now, you have nothing to use effectively. Even if you did manage to strike me, there's no way that you'd be able to hinder me."-

"What do you mean by that?"-

"Trying to let me monologue further? I won't give you the privilege, because like all classic scenarios, the tables usually turn when one side monologues too long. But then again, I have nothing to fear from you five. I already know that you're no threat."-

"We may not be, but perhaps they will." Sora said, pointing. Kahn sensed the presence of more warriors coming to the aid. Kenshin and the others had finally arrived.

"Hey, Sora, Riku, we've come to give you a hand, that we have!" Kenshin shouted.

"Glad to see that you made it here."-

"So, the reinforcements have arrived." Kahn uttered. "Oh well."

"This ends here, Kahn!" Kenshin shouted.

"You think that there's safety in numbers here? If the KH group is having trouble, what makes you think that you'll succeed?"-

"Because unlike them, you haven't seen our techniques yet." Saito said.

"Like your Gatotsu, Saito, or the Battousai's ultimate attack, the Amakakeru ryu no Hirameki?"-

"How did you know about those?" Sanosuke asked. "You were nowhere near the fights with Shishio and those others."

"That's where you've wrong, Sanosuke Sagara. I was closer than you think. What I did was similar to the observation tactics of the Juppongatana. But I performed my observation in an indirect way. I used Usui, Shishio, and Aoshi as not only pawns, but scouters. Their shadows always see every detail. You can never hide anything from the shadows. Thus, when battling you, my pawns managed to inscribe each attack into their brains. This information was then relayed back to me. That is why I chose to lure the KH team into this densely populated area, so that I'd be able to outmaneuver them and allow the information from pawns to be relayed into my mind. A work of genius if I do say so myself."-

"So all this time, he's only been stalling for time." Sora said.

"And now that I have all the necessary information, I no longer have to hold back. Prepare yourselves for the coming of my legions. I'm sure the KH team should be very familiar with these enemies." Kahn began to accumulate a thick blanked of shadows over the ground. Sora and the others withdrew. From the blanket of darkness, yellow eyes appeared, followed by large forms of dark figures.

"Oh no!" Sora uttered. "It can't be!" The entire KH group knew these minions of Kahn very well indeed.

"The Heartless!" all five KH team members cried.

"Now we're in for it." Riku uttered.


	10. Reign of Shadows

Reign of Shadows

The KH team, were familiar with these shadows that appeared before them. However, Kenshin's group never had an encounter with such terrifying entities and they quickly joined Sora and the others.

"I don't understand it." Sora said. "How could the Heartless return?"

"You are a fool." Kahn chuckled. "To be a master of the dark element, you need to know every possible technique and summon any entity from the shadow realm. In this case, I am able to summon the Heartless!"

"But that can't be! We sealed the door to darkness long ago!"-

"That was merely to stop the Heartless from entering other worlds at their own discretion. But just because they can't invade at their own will, doesn't mean that they can't be summoned by others. However, when summoned, only the strongest Heartless are able to emerge. So these are the more powerful of the Heartless realm, the elite, the cream of the crop. So they won't be as easy to take down as the Heartless you fought before. Their power is impeccable, their agility impressive, and there speed unrivaled. Even you, Sora, an experienced key bearer, will stand no chance against the might of elite Heartless."

"Then, we'll just have to find out!"-

"Let's!" Kahn snapped his fingers and the Heartless began their assault. Weapons drawn, both the KH and the Kenshin teams took the Heartless onslaught head on. Riku deployed several attacks with his swift strikes and the Hurricane Slash. The Heartless went flying through the air. At the same time, Sora deployed Ragnarok, Ars Arcanum, and the Turdra Canister. Mickey, Donald, and Goofy, deploying their signature moves and elemental attacks, overwhelmed the oncoming Heartless. Meanwhile, Kenshin and Seijuro Hiku deployed the Kuzu ryu sen. Saito attacked with all three style Gatotsus simultaneously. The battle outcome was turning out to be different from what Kahn had expected.

"That's impossible." Kahn thought to himself. "These particular Heartless are the top fighters of their realm. Their strength was supposed to equal Riku and Sora's strengths. How could it be possible for them to lose ground so easily?" But Kahn's shock soon gave way to a smirk. "Oh well, it doesn't matter. I still have reserves."

Riku observed that the damage they were inflicting on the town was starting to increase due to the large, more powerful attacks that they were deploying.

"Don't use too powerful an attack!" he shouted. "We don't want these people to become homeless!"

"Right!" the others cried.

But as they mellowed down their attacks, the KH team and the Kenshin group soon realized that they were losing ground more rapidly. Sora observed to see more Heartless appearing to take them on.

"Here they come again!" he cried.

"I've had enough of this!" Kenshin said. He thrust his sword, swinging in upward. "Hiten Mitsurugi Style, Do ryu sen!" A powerful energy wave crashed into the ranks of the Heartless, but the terrible shadows only reformed their ranks and continued their assault.

"How many more of these things are gonna pop out of the ground like that?" Sanosuke asked.

"Quit complaining, moron and do something useful for once." Saito said.

"Shut up, Saito! I don't see you making any difference!"-

"Come on! Now's not the time for us fight amongst each other, that it isn't!" Kenshin uttered.

"We're losing ground!" Yahiko cried.

"We won't be able to hold against these Heartless!" Misao uttered.

"We can't give up yet!" Miss Kaoru asked.

In the meantime, Khan continued to overlook the battle between the two allied groups and the Heartless onslaught.

"Well, this will be going on for some time then." He uttered. "Well, since Sora and those other idiots are occupied, I might as well, get the power stones." He began to levitate himself and headed towards the Aoiya.

"Come back here!" Sora shouted, spotting Kahn's movement. Kahn landed on the street leading to the Aoiya.

"Sorry, Sora, but I have a mission to fulfill and you have your hearts to protect." Kahn went on his way. Sora tried to force his way through, but the ranks of Heartless held fast. Even when using powerful attacks to clear the way, the Heartless wouldn't give way.

At the same time, The Oniwaban group was attending to its wounds. Okina helped them mend their cuts and scrapes.

"It's a good thing that you four managed to survive that bout with Aoshi." He uttered.

"I still can't believe that he was actually possessed." said Kurojo.

"It's all that Kahn guy's fault." Masukami added. "He's the one that took control of Lord Aoshi."

"Even so, at least Lord Aoshi was knocked out instead of killed." Onmime replied. "Thanks to Mr. Seijuro Hiko."

"Guys!" shouted Shirojo. "We have company!"

The five Oniwaban members looked out of the window to see the figure of Kahn approaching the demolished Aoiya. Okina turned and grabbed the box which contained the power stones.

"This is what he's after." He said. He gave it to the young lady, Masukami. "Now Omasu, I want you and Onmime to get this box as far from here as you possibly can. Take the rear exit and keep this box safe.

"I understand." Omasu replied. And she and Onmime withdrew. Okina then turned to Shirojo and Kurojo.

"It is up to us now to protect Lord Aoshi and the little boy Sojiro, that Mr. Hiko brought in earlier.

"Okina!" Kujoro said, pointing at the place where Sojiro was placed. Before them was a vacant sleeping spread.

"He's gone." Okina said. "But where did Sojiro go?"

Meanwhile, Kahn neared the Aoiya, feeling confident in the accomplishment.

"That was easier than expected." Kahn chuckled. "With Sora and the rest of those fools occupied with the Heartless, I am left with an open road all the way to the power stones. And there is no one to stand in my way." But as he drew closer to the building, he noticed a figure standing before the Aoiya, with sword drawn in hand. It was none other than the young man, Sojiro. "So it's you again boy? I could've sworn you were done away by Lord Shishio. But I still see that you've managed to survive some how." Sojiro drew his sword in front of him.

"You won't be going anywhere, Kahn." Sojiro uttered.

"And how you do plan on stopping me?" Kahn observed some of the wounds on Sojiro. "It looks like you've been wounded severely. A severe slash across the chest and abdomen and what looks like a stab wound to your left breast, which indicates that you must have a punctured lung. So you can barely stand and hold your sword, let alone attempt to fight me."

"I will stop you no matter what."-

"Sojiro!" Okina cried.

"Are you crazy, kid!" Kurojo added.

"Get back into the Aoiya!" Shirojo implied as well.

"You three stay out of this!" Kahn suddenly lashed out a strange dark energy and paralyzed the three remaining Oniwaban group members. "You're time will come soon, so don't go away." He then looked at Sojiro. "Your time however has reached its conclusion, boy." Kahn's aura began to bellow in a dark shadow. "Shadow Death Wave!" From Kahn, bellowed forth a powerful dark wave. The same move he used that killed hundreds of policemen an hour before. Now the wave went head on against Sojiro. It seemed imminent that Sojiro would meet a sorry end. With his wounds prohibiting him from engaging in any strenuous physical evasion and with the Oniwaban members paralyzed with Kahn's strange shadow hold, the end cams swiftly for Sojiro. Or so he thought. From out of the blue sky, a figure swooped down and picked up Sojiro, just as the wave was about to strike. The wave struck to late and diminished before the walls of the Aoiya. Kahn and the Oniwaban were dumbfounded at what just occurred. Kahn looked from the side of his eye to see a figure with long brown hair, a black leather jacket, blue jeans, a protective shoulder guard, and an extensively long weapon strapped to his back, land just a few yards away. He held Sojiro in his arms.

"Who are you who dares to interfere with the activity of the Dragon Ninjas?" Kahn declared.

"You might say that I'm the cavalry coming to the rescue." The figure turned, his eyes as blue as the sky itself. It was none other than Cuchulain.

"The Hound of Ulster."-

"Taking the life of a young boy isn't what I would call a brave act."-

"What are you doing here!"-

"I came here to give Riku and Sora a hand. And by the looks of it, I was cutting it a little close." Sojiro opened his eyes and gazed into the eyes of his rescuer.

"Who…who are you?" he uttered.

"Glad to see that you're still alive and kicking." Cuchulain chuckled. "First things first though." He jumped up to the Aoiya, where Okina and the others, now free from the shadow hold, were awaiting them. He gently laid Sojiro on the ground. "I want you stay here and let me do the fighting."

"Exactly who are you, stranger?" Okina asked.

"I'm the answer to your prayers. I am Cuchulain."-

"Cuchulain?" Kurojo asked. "That's a strange name?"

Cuchulain only smiled and then turned back to the street. Jumping from the second story, he landed on the street and faced the cloaked ninja.

"So you dare to stand in the way of the Cavendish Shinobis, eh?" Kahn uttered. "You were very foolish to do such a thing, Hound."

"I see your gums flapping, but all I hear is mindless squawking!" Cuchulain said.

"How dare you, you insolent young pup!"-

"Stop your monologue and let's get to the real fight." Cuchulain drew out his trident, the Gae Bulga, from his back. "By the way, why don't you fight me right and show your face instead of wearing that black cloak!"

"There is no need for that. I can easily take you out with my elemental attacks!" Suddenly, Kahn caught Cuchulain in his shadow hold, paralyzing him. "You see how easy it was for me to take you by surprise and deprive you of your movement.

But Cuchulain only smiled and broke free of the hold.

"Imbecile." He chuckled. "That attack only works on those who are weaker than you. However, if your enemy is equal, or greater in strength, they could easily break that paralysis hold. That shadow hold is no different from the Stopga spell that Sora used on me during our trial battle."

"Is that so? Well then, perhaps escalating my skills would be the best strategy."-

Kahn stretched out his hand and deployed his Darkness Shurikens. But despite that, Cuchulain only dodged with ease.

"Not this stupid technique again." Cuchulain said, in a sarcastic manner. "You've already shown me this trick. And even then, it didn't work."

"Go ahead and praise yourself boy. I haven't even begun to fight you yet. If you thought I was terrifying before, you haven't seen anything yet."-

"That may be so. But I've gained knowledge of the possible attacks you would deploy. Ever since that fateful day, I've never forgotten your style of fighting, or your use of the dark element. For what you did to my best friend, I will take revenge."-

"Still gnawing away at that bone are we? His life was just a waste from the start!"-

"As is yours!" Cuchulain threw his Gae Bulga before him. "Now will you talk, or fight."

"Doomed to repeat history."-

Meanwhile, Sora and the others continued their efforts against the might of the elite Heartless. Unlike the average Heartless, these elites would not go down so easily. Their speed, strength, and agility, had been heightened to an impressive level. Both the Kenshin and KH groups began to tighten themselves in a circle, to watch each others backs.

"We're not gonna last here!" Yahiko cried.

"We'll be overrun!" added Goofy.

"We have to break out of this onslaught somehow!" Riku shouted. "We have to prevent Kahn from getting those power stones!"

"But we're not exactly in a position to say something like that." Sora said.

"If we don't this entire campaign would have been for nothing!" Kenshin uttered.

"Damn it!" Saito said. "These Heartless seem to have no end to their numbers! And to further add, each of them is as powerful as Usui!"

Suddenly, the fighting stopped and the group found themselves surrounded by Heartless. Kenshin, Sora, Riku, Saito, Seijuro, and everyone else grew tired and weary now. They could only watch as the Heartless continued to emerge from out of thin air and from the dark shadows on the ground.

"There are just too many of them and their just too strong!" Misao said.

"We may have to consider giving up." Donald added.

"What!" Riku protested. "Giving up isn't an option."

"If we must die, then die we shall!" Saito said. "The code of Aku Soku Zan remains unchanged for me!"

"We all may have to consider going by that code of Aku Soku Zan, that we may." Kenshin said.

But as the Heartless began to close in, two powerful sound waves approached and cut their way straight into the ranks of the Heartless. Sora and the others looked to see two familiar faces standing not to far away. It was Lu Xun and Goten.

"Did we come too late?" Goten asked.

"We thought you guys could use some help." Lu Xun added.

"What're you two doing here?" Sora asked.

"Actually, we started out with three."-

"What do you mean?" Riku implied. "Who else accompanied you?"

"Cuchulain did." Goten chuckled. "He's got a score to settle with tall dark and scary! But enough blabbing, I see you guys could use some help!"

"Then, let us give you a hand!" Lu Xun said, drawing his double swords.

The Heartless began their attack against Lu Xun and Goten now. But Lu Xun easily plowed through the ranks, deploying his musou attack and eliminating a dozen Heartless. At the same time, Goten slashed through the ranks in a matter of seconds.

"Did you see what that guy did?" Misao asked. "He plowed through those Heartless in only a matter of seconds."

"His speed far surpasses even the god-like speed of the Hiten Mitsurugi style." Kenshin uttered.

"Who are those guys?" Yahiko uttered. "They just appeared out of nowhere?"

"That's Goten and Lu Xun." Sora said.

"Goten and Lu Xun?"-

"They're our reinforcements." Mickey explained.

"They've never shown these types of attacks before in Traverse Town." Goofy said.

"That's because we weren't there to witness the fight, remember!" Donald uttered.

Lu Xun, after sweeping through the ranks of the Heartless, slid over to Sora and Riku.

"I understand you guys made allies with Lu Bu." He said.

"How'd you know about that?" Sora asked.

"Lu Bu himself dropped off a letter saying that he left two of his deadliest attacks with you and Riku. The infamous Foot Stomp and his Musou."-

"That's right." Riku said.

"Then, let's see it."-

"We can't though." Sora said. "If we deploy those attacks, there'll be a chance that we ruin the surrounding community. We don't want to be responsible for destroying half of the community."

"That doesn't matter as long as the populous themselves have been evacuated. If you keep holding back, and continue to take puck shots at these elite Heartless, then we'll be here forever. Deploy your most powerful attacks so we can end this."-

"He has a point, Sora!" Goten shouted. "That's the only way we can defeat these Heartless. Besides, the Alliance will compensate for any damaged made on the world!"

"We have no other choice, Sora!" Riku agreed. "If we don't stop this now, Kahn would have retrieved the power stones and would have departed from this world! Demolishing a small part of the city will be nothing compared to the scale of destruction of the Imperials decided to return to this world with mobile dolls and destroyers. This world wouldn't even stand a chance!" Riku ran into the thick of the Heartless.

"Riku!" Sora cried.

"What the heck is he doing!" Kaoru asked.

"He's gonna get himself killed!" Misao added.

"Riku, come back!" Kenshin cried. But they could only watch as Riku was consumed by the Heartless. But as it seemed to be over for the gallant young man, Riku suddenly deployed the musou attack he gained from Lu Bu. Swinging he sword around, Riku managed to make twenty repetitions before finishing off with a side slash sweep, cutting the Heartless in half and blowing the others away.

"If we're not holding back anymore, then let's defeat these Heartless once and for all!" Kenshin shouted.

"Finally, you're using your head, you block head." Seijuro chuckled.

"Alright!" Sanosuke said. "Now this is a fight I'll definitely enjoy!"

"Let us begin then!" Saito added.

Seijuro and Kenshin stood side by side and deployed the Kuzu ryu sen at the same time, plowing through the ranks of the Heartless. At the same time, Saito, following them, used his Gatotsu to strike the Heartless. He then used a violent side slash to wipe out four more Heartless. At the same time, Sano jumped over the heads of the three, after their attacks were deployed and used the Futae no kiwami, causing an explosion amongst the ranks. Misao, Yahiko, and Kaoru followed there after and swiped at the Heartless. But because they were armed with menial weapons, they did not fully eliminate the Heartless. So Goofy, Donald, and Mickey used themselves as body guards against he Heartless, protecting the rear.

"Come on Sora!" Riku cried. "Give 'em hell!"

Sora found himself surrounded by masses of Heartless. He crouched down and began to power up.

"OK! Here goes nothing." He stomped his foot into the ground and a 360 explosion rang out, blowing all the Heartless away.

"Whoa!" Lu Xun cried.

"Take cover!" Riku shouted, lunging his sword into the ground. The explosion blew the majority of the fighters and all of the Heartless away.

"Man!" Goten uttered. "I didn't know that Lu Bu's foot stomp was that powerful!"

"You should've seen what Lu Bu did in the 'Ico Realm' against those wraiths!" Riku replied. "Hard to believe that I managed to defeat Lu Bu! He was merely playing the last time we fought!"

As the dust settled, there were no longer any Heartless. The attack was over, but it left Sora almost dead. He fell to his knees and gasped heavily.

"Man Sora, that was awesome!" Goten chuckled.

"Here you go, Sora." Donald said and used the Curaga spell to heal him.

"Hey, what kind of magic was that?" Sanosuke asked.

"It's called the Curaga spell." Mickey explained. "It's able to fully restore your strength, your will power, and prevents your heart from being swallowed by the Darkness."

"Too bad it doesn't work on physical wounds to the body." Sora said. "We use the senzu beans to do that. That makes a full restoration of strength, will, and mends wounds, broken bones, torn muscles, and restores blood."

"Even if you were cured by Curaga, your strength wouldn't last if your body has no more blood."-

"Speaking of which." Goofy said. "We better heal you guys."

Since Seijuro Hiko, Miss Kaoru and Yahiko were only deprived of energy, Donald gave them a bit of Curaga to fully restore their strength. Goofy gave senzu beans to Kenshin, for the burn and wounds from Shishio, to Saito, whose legs were crippled by Usui, to Misao who suffered some broken bones from the bout with Aoshi, and Sanosuke, whose head had been injured against Shishio.

"Man, I feel great!" Sanosuke chuckled.

"Excellent." Saito added. "Now I'll be able to use the full power of my Gatotsu."

"Now we're all back in top shape, that we are." Kenshin said.

"I hate to break this up!" Lu Xun said. "But we still have a shinobi to worry about."

"That's right." Riku said. "Cuchulain is fighting with Kahn and he may need our help."

"Then, we better go give him a hand, that we should!" Kenshin said and the groups scurried off to fight the wrath of Kahn. Just one more enemy to defeat before peace could be restored.


	11. Kahn: Master of Darkness

Kahn: Master of Darkness

Kahn continued to make small game of Cuchulain's efforts, dishing out only his minor attacks. Cuchulain dodged with ease, not even breaking a sweat. Kahn continued to deploy his Darkness Shurikens little by little, hoping to catch Cuchulain off guard.

"Listen!" Cuchulain said, angrily. "This is getting boring. Are you gonna fight me right!"

"When one engages in battle, he who displays the extent of his strategy is he who is most likely to fail." Kahn replied. "Besides, I just want to see if you've learned any new tricks lately."

"You wanna see new tricks! Then, I'll let you see new tricks!" Cuchulain held the Gae Bulga close as he crouched to the ground. He suddenly came charging at an extraordinary speed.

"You're a fool!" Kahn chuckled. He began to power up and was ready to deploy his infamous Shadow Death Wave. But suddenly, Cuchulain extended his trident in front of him and came within striking distance of Kahn. He lunged forth and struck Kahn straight in the head. But the Gae Bulga only pierced shadows and Cuchulain went through. He landed on the ground and looked back with a shock look on his face.

"How can that be?" Cuchulain uttered. "How could the Gae Bulga be able to strike him and not be able to hinder him?"

"Surprised?" Kahn chuckled. "To be a master of shadows and darkness, one must know every technique within the dark arts. This cloak is a special cloak, which I had customized myself. By using a dark spell, I was able to create a cloak that could withstand any blow. When covering the wearer's entire body, the body of the wearer themselves becomes shadow. This is the Shadow Cloak, a one of a kind item. So as long as I wear this cloak, there is nothing you can do to hinder me. However, I can hinder you!" Cuchulain drew up his spear. "You want another test run? Be my guest, but this time, to make it easy and to prove my point, I won't dodge, or retaliate. Go ahead, Cuchulain. Give it a try."

"He's right." Cuchulain thought to himself. "Trying to do bodily harm to him is useless. And as long as he continues to wear that cloak, I can't hinder him in any way. And there's no way I can harm the cloak itself since it consist of shadows."

"Cuchulain!" a voice cried. The Hound looked behind him to see Sora, Riku, and the others coming to aid. They stopped by Cuchulain's side.

"We've come to give you a hand." Sora uttered.

"Thanks you guys." Cuchulain replied.

"So that's him, eh?" Lu Xun said. "Kahn."

"Well, now that we're here," Goten added, "he won't stand a chance."

"Don't underestimate his abilities." Cuchulain said. "He's more cunning than you think."

"You're the reason for all this hell!" Sanosuke said. He then went charging against Kahn. "So, I'll make sure you feel the full extend of my Futae no Kiwami!"

"Sano!" Kenshin cried. But it was too late as Sanosuke lunged forth with his right fist. But as he made contact, he just went through Kahn as if he weren't there from the start.

"What the hell just happened!"-

"He just went through?" Kaoru said. "But how? I could have sworn I saw Sanosuke connect."

"It appears that he's using some form of magic to protect himself." Saito said.

"You're right, there" Cuchulain said.

"What do you mean, Mr. Cuchulain?" Kenshin asked.

"That is the Shadow Cloak. As long as it protects his entire body, he cannot be hindered. But he can hinder us in the process."

"He's got to have a weakness somewhere!" Misao shouted as she charged forward into the battle.

"Miss Misao!" Kenshin cried.

"No Misao!" Kaoru added. "Come back!"

"I won't forgive you for what you did to Lord Aoshi!" Misao through her shurikens at Kahn, but the projectiles only went through him like they were nothing.

"You fool." Kahn chuckled. "You dare go head to head with the master of the dark element."

"There's no way we can hinder him." Kenshin said.

"Unless we can find a way to somehow detach the cloak off of him." Saito said. He then noticed that a thick chord tide in bow in front of the cloak. "That's it, if we can somehow break that chord that's keeping the cloak on, then we'll be able to deprive him of his protective barrier." Saito crouched down in his Gatotsu stance. "Now!"

Saito lunged forward with all his strength against Kahn. Aiming for the chord, he threw his sword out to its fullest extension in front of him. But as he aimed for the chord, Saito suddenly found himself going straight through Kahn. He landed on the other side and gazed up.

"Not even your Gatotsu is a match for my elements." Kahn chuckled.

"How do you know about the Gatotsu?" Saito said. "You never saw the attack first hand."

"Shadows see everything. So there is nothing that you can hide from me." Kahn turned to Saito. "You had the right idea aiming for the chord of the cloak, but attacking the cloak itself won't work either. The cloak itself is like a layer of shadows. And you can't hurt shadows with mortal weapons, no matter how hard you try." Kahn suddenly began to hover in the air. "Now allow me to indulge you with my more impressive attacks!" He suddenly began to increase this strength. Then, accumulating over his head, five black energy spheres emerged. "Sorrow Sphere Assault!" The five balls suddenly began their attack.

"Here they come!" Kenshin shouted. The group members dodged the attacks, but the balls only rebound and dared to strike at them again.

"How the heck are those stupid balls following us around?" Sanosuke said.

"These balls are able to track down a person's energy signature." Goten replied.

"Well, how do we get rid of them?" Lu Xun asked.

"Simply by destroying them!" Goten flew into the air. He began to power up, transforming into a Super Saiyan. Instantly, the five dark spheres were attracted to him. Goten then fired out with a multi beam barrage and blew away each of the balls. The activity that went on was incredible.

"Look at that!" Seijuro said. "He's firing a barrage of energy."

"But how could someone be able to do that?" Kenshin asked. "How's Goten able to accumulate his energy like that and manipulate it to have a physical form!"

"To do such a thing requires an extraordinary amount of energy." Saito said. "Goten must obtain a great deal of energy if he's even able to instantaneously change his physical appearance."

"The power he has is so great, I can't even approach it."-

"Look at that." Yahiko uttered. "Is Goten some sort of God, or something? I mean, no one can do that. Not even Kenshin."

"Quite impressive, Goten!" Kahn chuckled. "You managed to lure all the balls to you! I guess you've pointed out the one disadvantage about energy homing! But it doesn't matter, I'll just have to do things the reckless way and use my mind to control them!" Again formed the five energy balls above his head. "Now try it again! Sorrow Sphere Assault!" The spheres went flying at Goten and the others.

"Man!" Sanosuke shouted. "Doesn't this guy ever take a break!"

"Kahn's in a league of his own!" Kenshin said. "On top of that, we can't strike at him because he has that cloak on him and he's definitely out of our reach."

"What are we gonna do about these balls?" Yahiko asked.

"Just destroy them!" Riku shouted. He powered up and deployed Cinder Canister. He managed to strike at one of the balls and destroyed it with his won fire spheres.

Sora, on the other hand, managed to deflect the ball coming towards him and deflected it back at Kahn. But Kahn was unhindered as the ball went straight through him.

"Nice one, Sora! But let's see how well you do with this!" The remaining balls suddenly stopped and hovered to a stationary stance just above the town. "Sorrow Sphere Barrage!" Suddenly, each ball began to bellow out darkness shurikens and barraged the town.

"Watch out!" Sora shouted. "Dodge the shurikens!" But Sanosuke, Misao, and Yahiko were struck. "Hold on!" Sora restored their health with Curaga. He then turned to Donald and Mickey. "Deploy Aeroga spells and protect everyone!"

"We're on it!" Mickey said. "Donald, let's go!"

"Right behind ya!" Donald replied. They went around and cast the Aeroga spell on everyone, including themselves and watched as the darkness shurikens fell around them.

"Very clever, very clever!" Kahn chuckled, as he saw Aeroga being distributed amongst the fighters. "Using Aeroga shield to block the effects of the shuriken barrage. I must give you credit for that. But let's see how well your shields hold up, when the projectiles are slightly larger!" Kahn then thrust the dark spheres themselves down towards the ground.

"Get out of the way!" Sora shouted. The party scattered as the sphere's made impact and spread their darkness within a 20 yard radius. The members of the Kenshin and KH groups managed to evade the attacks.

"This can't keep going!" Sora uttered. 'What'll we do?"

"It's just like the shadow queen in the 'Ico Realm!'" Riku said. It was then that he realized what he just said. "That's it! His cloak is made of shadows. Therefore, we can't do anything to hinder him! And when we try to deprive him of the cloak itself, we can't hinder that either!"

"I think we already came to that conclusion, Riku!" Donald shouted.

"But that gives me a plan!" Riku turned to Goten who was hastily landing on the ground. "Goten come here!"

"What is it!" Goten asked as he rushed over.

"Power up as Super Saiyan again!" Riku then turned to Mickey. "And Mickey, Aeroga shield now!"

"I gotcha!" Mickey replied. As Mickey deployed Aeroga, Goten began to power up. The light around them was intense and practically blinding.

"Alright!" Riku said. "Here's the plan! Goofy, I want you and Donald to run back to the Gummi ship and unsheathe the rune sword!"

"What for?" Donald asked.

"I see now!" Sora explained. "If there's one weapon that is capable of diminishing shadows, it'll have to be the rune sword."

"Oh, I gotcha now!"-

"Go now!"-

"But we'll have to go back to our teleportation ring."-

"Then hurry! We'll try to fight these guys off as best we can."-

With that, Goofy and Donald began their run back to the police department.

"Fools." Kahn chuckled as he saw Donald and Goofy scurry away. "They are afraid to fight. Then run you cowards. Just two less insects I have to worry about."

"Alright," Sora uttered, "We have a plan now."

"But are you guys sure it'll work?" Goten asked.

"Without a doubt," Riku implied, "It'll work."

"But why did you guys want me to power up?"-

"That's for us to know and you to find out."-

"You truly are out of options now!" Kahn suddenly shouted. "You cannot hinder me, but I can hinder you! And in the most unlikely and deadliest way! By filling and overwhelming your hearts with darkness, I could easily pollute your being with negative energy, and cause you die a remarkably slow and agonizing death." Suddenly, from the ground, a black portal emerged and from that portal, more of the Heartless elite came crawling out of the space. "Then, you will become easy food for my pets!"

The Hearts began to mount another attack.

"Oh no," Yahiko uttered, "Not these guys again!"

"How the heck is he doing this!" Riku thought to himself.

"Only through my summoning, can I unleash the Heartless into other worlds again!" Kahn said. "Because the door to darkness had been sealed and replaced with the door to the light, the Heartless can no longer escape their realm. Therefore, only those who have mastered the elements of darkness and shadow can summon them forth. And in order to do that, one must have extraordinary chi within their body. Very few can summon the kind of strength that I can muster. And even if they did, their hearts would be too overcome by darkness and they would easily succumb to the Heartless. That is why one must have a strong heart before reopening the way to darkness."

"So tell me!" Riku said. "As being another person who was once able to control the Heartless, with the strength of his heart, what motivates your heart to be strong?"

"The one ambition to unite the entire universe and realize our dream of total unification of all worlds!"-

"But that is literally impossible. To unify all worlds under one banner is only an ideal and nothing more. People of different ethnicity, class, gender, race, nationality, they would never give up their traditions, their cultures, their religions, and what not, for the sake of being ruled by the laws of a foreign power."-

"That is why the Empire must use force and its might. That is the only way to rule a nation of separate worlds!"-

"But to rule people with an iron fist! Deprive them of their happiness! I've seen the intentions of the Empire first hand! We all have and we all know full well of the death and destruction you will rein!"-

"There is only room for the strong in the universe! They are the ones who will rule. The fates of the rest are irrelevant!"-

"That's not true!" Kenshin shouted. He stood up to face Kahn and hit Heartless minions. "The people of this world are only trying to live their lives in peace! They have finally begun to live their lives in peace after the chaos of the revolution ten years ago! They finally are able to live in a world where no blood is being shed! But yet, you say that their lives have no value! Well, I won't allow you to do anything to disturb their happiness by bringing them into another chaotic war!"

"Kenshin's right!" Sanosuke added. "We understand the value of lives and how much each is worth! Look at Kenshin, he's willing to see their happiness fulfilled and he's willing to become food for their needs!"

"The use of one man cannot make the difference!" Kahn suddenly began to power up. "And I'll prove it to you!" He suddenly thrust his hand out of the cloak. "Underworld Sphere!" Just then, a powerful sphere of energy, accumulating black electricity, began to approach at full speed towards Kenshin and Sano.

"But that's…" Riku uttered. But he saw the situation and jumped in front of the ball. He thrust his hand out and fired the same attack. Kahn was shocked at what he had just witnessed. The two dark energy balls came colliding with each other and both ninja and key bearer went head to head in a locked chi battle.

"How do you know this attack, boy?" Kahn asked.

"I too once had the ability to control the Heartless." Riku replied. "This is the exact same technique that I was taught!"

"I see. So this must've been Ansem's doing!"-

Riku managed to push both spheres away and sent them flying harmlessly into the atmosphere. Riku fell to one knee, exhausted.

"Riku, here you go!" Sora said, using Curaga to restore Riku's strength.

"Thanks Sora." Riku replied and stood back on his feet. He turned to Kahn. "How are you in relation to Ansem?"

"Not just Ansem, but the Unknowns as well." Kahn replied. "This information had been completely erased until now. You see, the Unknowns were personally trained by none other than my master, friend, and leader, General Kai of the Cavendish Shinobis. But as apprentices, they were not truly considered to be ninjas. Each had been given a different element to work with. Ice, fire, you know the story since you fought each of them. Only by proving their skills against a truly powerful foe, would the training be complete and the rank of shinobi was considered official. They were to serve as hired hands of a well known patron. But I won't get into detail about that. However, because of an encounter with the KH team, they fell. They were no longer considered Shinobis, nor worthy apprentices since their down fall against you. Thus, they were cast aside. Regarding Ansem, I never linked either the Unknowns, or Ansem. But what links me with him is this. He wanted an attack that would be able to extinguish an enemy with one full sweep. So I gave it to him." Kahn suddenly began to accumulate another ball of energy. "This was what I showed to him, and this is what he passed on to you, Riku! And I see you still have a firm grasp on it!" Kahn fired the energy ball.

"Not again!" Riku fired his own energy ball and the two dark entities clashed.

"But you must realize this!" Kahn said. "What I showed to Ansem was only a minor attack! Fearing that he my one day try to turn against the Empire, I only gave him my minor attacks! In order to succeed Riku, one must train hard in that same field if they ever intend to reach the level of the master!" Kahn's essence of dark energy began to grow greater and so did the energy sphere locked in the duel. It wasn't long before Riku's sphere was absorbed by the larger sphere. Kahn's sphere continued its course.

"It can't be." Riku uttered.

"Riku!" Sora cried.

But suddenly, Cuchulain rushed forth and with one mighty swing with the Gae Bulga, he knocked the massive sphere into the atmosphere. Kahn was again shocked. Cuchulain sneered at the shinobi who still hovered high in the air.

"You forget, Kahn!" Cuchulain uttered. "You and I still have an old score to settle!"

"Still wanting to exact revenge for the death of your best friend, eh?" Kahn chuckled. "You should thank me though. At least I did you the honor of not having to kill him yourself."

"What's this?" Goten asked. "Are you saying that you're trying to take revenge for a best friend you tried to kill yourself, Cuchulain?"

"It was not by our choice." Cuchulain replied. "I didn't want to fight him. But we were forced to. I didn't want to see him die and he felt the same way. We were close, we were almost like brothers. I would die for him as he would have died for me…" Cuchulain lowered his head and uttered a single name. "…Ferdia…"

"Ferdia?" Lu Xun asked. "Was that his name?"-

"It was. By my hand, or by my weapon, I will see this Shinobi dead!"-

"You first, Hound of Cullen! Or should I say, Hound of Ulster!" Kahn summoned forth the Heartless to attack. The Heartless as great speed attacked head on. But Cuchulain only stood alone.

"Cuchulain!" Sanosuke shouted. "Are you crazy!"

"Mr. Cuchulain!" Kenshin added.

"This is where the Hound will show his full strength!" Cuchulain crouched down with his trident stretch out before him. Suddenly, He attacked with all he had. "Ulster Thrust and Slash!" He lunged his Gae Bulga into one of the attacking heartless. Impaling the heartless on the long, center point, he stopped and deployed a powerful 360 turn. The turn of his body combined with his brute force caused a massive explosion that blew all the Heartless away.

"Impossible…" Kahn uttered. "This is not the same Cuchulain that I fought. He seems stronger. Could he be dipped into the rage? No, he couldn't be. He knows the consequence for delving into the rage. But where did this sudden power come from?"

"Did you see that?" Riku said.

"I've never seen an attack like that, or an attack that powerful before." Sora replied. "It's a good thing he didn't use that during our trial battle in Traverse Town."

"That was something else, eh Kenshin?" Sano uttered. But Kenshin only had this goofy, smirk on his face.

"Oro?" he just uttered.

"So this is the power of the Hound." Goten uttered. "I can see why Sneer wanted him on our side so badly."

"Very impressive." Kahn chuckled. "However, how do you intend to use that attack on me, a person who can't be hindered."

"Why you…" Cuchulain growled. But Riku placed his hand on Cuchulain's shoulder.

"No use trying to get angry about it." Riku uttered. "There's no way to harm him, unless we take off that cloak first.

"Let us handle it." Sora sad, stepping opposite of Cuchulain. "All we have to do is deprive him of that cloak and his only means of defense. Then, you can exact your revenge."

"But how?" Cuchulain asked.

"Just watch!"-

"You fools!" Kahn chuckled as he landed on the ground. "You think you can hide anything from the shadows? Attempting to attack me is futile! I am invincible!"

"So says you!" Riku shouted, as he and Sora, with their blades still sheathed, came charging against the Shinobi.

"You fools! You think you can hinder me! So long as I have the shadow cloak, there is nothing you can do to hurt me!"-

"That's in your own opinion! But right now we think differently!" Riku suddenly unsheathed his blade and from it came a glowing light. Kahn was suddenly struck with fear. The blade cut straight through the shadow cloak.

"That's impossible!" Kahn said. "Where did this light from his sword come from! It was never there before when we were fighting! What light allows them to do this!" He turned to see Sora unsheathe his sword with the same white light accumulating on his blade. "Oh no, him as well!"

Kahn dodged the blade, but it was too late. The blade cut through the shadow and the cloak was torn away. Now Kahn no longer had a fully protective defense.

"Would you like another sample?" Riku said, as he and Sora rebounded. Again, they managed to cut through more of the material.

"You idiots!" Kahn shouted. He turned suddenly and evaded the blades as best he could. He threw out his hands and knocked the boys away with an energy wave. Riku and Sora went flying into the arms of their comrades. The deed was done however and the cloak had been torn beyond repair. "I never would have thought anyone could have actually cut through my shadow cloak. How did you idiots manage to pull it off?"

"You can thank the power of the rune sword for that." Sora uttered as he rose to his feet. "Compliments of young Ico from the 'Ico Realm,' he gave us the sword as a gift. A sword that could even cut through shadows and diminish them forever."

"I've heard of the rune sword, but what you're armed with does not depict its appearance! How is it that your swords can manipulate the same type of energy!" It was then that he saw the two linking rings on the hilts of their swords. "I see now! Linking rings! You linked your swords to react to the power of the rune sword when it was drawn. But how did they suddenly glow now of all times."

"It was thanks to Donald and Goofy." Riku explained. "They were the ones who unsheathed the sword for us. It was all part of our plan."

"When did this plan take effect?"-

"No more than ten minutes ago."-

"But that can't be! The shadows can hear everything you whisper! Why was I not able to pick your conversation up!"

"That's where Goten came in!"-

Kahn suddenly remembered. Goten had powered up close to the KH group. His accumulating light, when he became a Super Saiyan, overwhelmed the shadows in the area.

"So that's how you did it then." Kahn uttered. "You used the light from Goten's aura to force the shadows to recede."

"If you hadn't told us about your shadow observance technique earlier, maybe you would have caught us off guard. But now it's too late to redo." Sora said.

"No matter boys!" Kahn suddenly began to power up. "It wouldn't hurt me to do a little exercise. But first…" Kahn pointed his finger at Goten. Goten was suddenly surrounded by a vortex of shadow. His head rose to the sky and a blood curdling scream bellowed from his throat. A column of shadow lifted into the air and spread throughout Kyoto like a giant dome. The sky grew dark like that of a stormy night.

"Goten!" Lu Xun cried.

"What manner of trickery is this!" Saito said.

"Mr. Goten!" Kenshin shouted.

"What's happening to him?" Misao asked. "All of a sudden his body just burst with shadows."

"What have you done to Goten!" Sora shouted.

"If you want to emerge victorious, you must first plan out a strategy." Kahn chuckled. "I knew I wouldn't stand a chance against Goten in a one on one fight. Being of Saiyan descent, his power level can increase to a level, which the likes of you can only dream about. And even if you did, it would be deemed impossible in your mind. However, being able to manipulate so much strength, I used that to my advantage. Thus, I deployed my most powerful and most difficult attack, the Column of Despair! It is the only attack in my arsenal, which is able to manipulate a person with a pure heart and not a corrupt one! Dark hearts aren't affected by the attack. For some reason, I find pure hearts to be a little more dangerous. The nature of the attack is that it will completely nullify Goten's mind, body and spirit and allow me to manipulate his energy in any way I wish. In this case, I used his energy to help form another infamous attack of mine, which I've dubbed the name the Darkness Umbrella. The umbrella creates an environment that I can use to my complete advantage. Being a master of darkness, I am able to hide in the shadows and defeat my opponent using my deadliest techniques. You might say I was the one who really defined the meaning of Shinobi, the warrior of the night."

"However," Saito suddenly uttered, "As a result of your attack, you seem to have grown weaker."

"You are right there, Saito." Cuchulain uttered. "He is weakened, by half of his strength that is."

"There's no hiding anything from you is there, Hound?" Kahn chuckled. "As I said before it is one attack that I can use only once. And you can see why. That is why when I do indeed need to use it, I must plan out whom I will use it on. Goten was the best choice. I never would have stood a chance against him in a one on one fight. Not only is he of Saiyan descent, but he also has learned fighting skills by none other than the venerable Lord Lucien Exmortus Thundro. Therefore, I couldn't possibly win. Thus, I used Goten's feeble mind to my advantage. Goten's power of observation is limited and he's a bit of a goof. So as a result, he was easy to manipulate. You people however, are not much of a threat as he. So half of my strength should be more than enough to kill you all."

"Then bring it on, you freak!" Sanosuke shouted, pounding his fist into each other.

"No!" Cuchulain said as he stepped forward. "I will deal with him myself." He drew out the Gae Bulga again and threw it in front of him. "I've been waiting for the day to fight you, Kahn. Ever since you took the life of my best friend, Ferdia. For that, I will not forgive you! Now, shinobi, let me see the face of the man who killed my closest companion!"

"If that is what you truly want to see before you die, then so be it!" Kahn tore the cloak from off his shoulders to reveal his true face. He was dressed in a black frock, with gold and white armor protecting his chest and main body, he wore gold and white shin and knee guards, and his hands were covered in white gloves. His hair was a flash of blue. On his face, was a scar that streaked in such a ragged manner, from the right side of his forehead to the left cheek, and his eyes were an emerald green. "You should be honored. This is the first time I had to reveal my face to anyone for the passed fifteen years. And now that you know what I look like, I can't allow any of you to survive." He drew from his back a pain of twin swords, each ending with a bizarre hook as a tip.

"What the heck kind of sword are those?" Sano asked.

"I don't know." Kaoru replied.

"I definitely have never seen swords like those before, that I haven't." Kenshin added.

"They're called tiger swords." Lu Xun implied.

"Tiger swords?" Yahiko asked.

"Tiger swords originate from my homeland in China. They are a special type of sword that have grappling capabilities. When confronted with tiger swords, those weapons are able to latch on to any kind of weapon and hold them in place, which is the explanation for the hooked ends. A warrior using tiger swords can latch on to their opponent's weapon and keep it stationary, stalling the opponents attack. At the same time, the other sword can move in for the kill. To add, the short daggers at the end of each hilt act as close combat grappling weapons, so that the user can kill their opponent using either the full extended, hooked blade, or the dagger of the hilt with a reverse hit. Also, the hooks at the end also allow the user to link the swords together and make a type of short whip."

"So you're saying that Cuchulain doesn't stand a chance?" Sora asked.

"I never said that, did I? Kahn may be master when it comes to twin tiger swords, but Cuchulain is the master of the Gae Bulga trident. And as a master, Cuchulain is bound to know the weaknesses of his weapon. So he'll use it in such a fashion that he will not leave himself open to attack."-

"Right now, each warrior is concentrating on how to approach this battle in his mind." Kenshin uttered. "It's basically a stand off. If there is any hesitation, or any wavering in the deployment of their attacks, the results for exploiting that margin could prove fatal."

Just then, Goofy and Donald reemerged with the group.

"Mission accomplished." Donald said, saluting.

"Did we miss anything?" Goofy asked.

"You're about to see a big fight commence." Saito uttered.

"The fight between Cuchulain and Kahn has begun." Sora added.

There was a strong standoff that lasted for five minutes. From the Aoiya, Okina and the others watched the upcoming fight unfold.

"Have you seen anything like this, Okina?" Shirojo asked.

"Nothing like this before." Okina replied. "How's Sojiro doing?"

"He barely hanging on." Kurojo replied. Sojiro gasped for air. A stream of blood trickled down his mouth.

"Can't…breathe…" he uttered.

"Hand in there, kid."-

"If we don't do something quick, this boy will die." Okina uttered to himself. He turned to Shiro. "You have to find help. Sojiro won't last long."

"Right." Shirojo replied and scurried off to find help.

Meanwhile, it seemed that the stand off would never end between Cuchulain and Kahn. A drop of sweat fell from Sora's face as he witnessed the tension. Wiping it away, his eyes fell from the stand off to watch the drop fall to the ground. It seemed an eternity for that single drop to hit the surface. As he watched the drop splatter onto the dirt of the road. There was a sudden flash of light. Sora looked up to see that the standoff had been broken and Kahn and Cuchulain were having a grand clash. Their weapons interlocked in the most intense style of weapon grappling ever seen. Steel and steel went head too head, causing sparks to fly. As Cuchulain would thrust and jab with the Gae Bulga, Kahn was able to use the steel of his twin swords to parry and lock the trident in place. But Cuchulain truly was a master of the Gae Bulga and new the weaknesses of his weapon thoroughly, using them to his advantage.

"Look at that!" Sanosuke uttered. "Have you seen anything like that?"

"There speed and agility is incredible." Kenshin replied. "They've accelerated in speeds that even surpass the God-like speed of the Hiten Mitsurugi."

"The skills that I've witnessed today are skills that match the gods themselves." Saito added.

"There's not a single flaw in their attacks." Kaoru replied. "No hesitation whatsoever."

"Well, I hope that Cuchulain guy kicks Kahn's butt good!" Yahiko said.

"They've accelerated to a level of complete concentration." Lu Xun said. "So much that even Kahn's little paralysis trick won't work."

"What do you mean?" Sora asked.

"When you heighten your concentration on your foe and are not ruled by inner emotion, the effects of any paralysis technique is disabled."-

"Isn't it also because Kahn's fighting energy had been cut in half?"-

"That too. Kahn's shadow hold is unrivaled. But because he has wasted half of his energy on manipulating Goten's energy, his minor attacks no longer have any significant effect. He would have to raise his power level in order to use those attacks effectively. But he has to save energy for the fights against several other opponents here. The only thing we can do is stall for time and allow Kahn to tire himself out."-

"What if he heard us just now? You know haw he hears things through the shadows"-

"He can't concentrate on our conversations and fight an intense battle like this at the same time. He has to concentrate all of his energy into the fight. A single flaw in his concentration, especially against Cuchulain, could prove fatal."-

"Hey you guys!" a voice suddenly shouted out from behind. The parties looked to see Shirojo approach.

"Shiro, what are you doing here?" Kenshin asked.

"I had to take the long way around to avoid the fight. The kid, Sojiro, he's barely handing on by a thread."

"What's this?"-

"Because of his punctured lung, he can't breath. He's slowly drowning in his own body fluids."-

"We have to do something!"-

"Goofy!" Mickey implied. "Go with him and bring those senzu beans with you."

"Okie Dokie!" Goofy chuckled.

"Then, let's get going!" Shiro and Goofy went off back to the Aoiya.

"I never would have thought to see the day when I would encounter a talking dog, that I haven't." Kenshin said.

"Let alone a talking duck, or mouse." Mickey giggled.

At the same time, Cuchulain and Kahn had grappled for ten minutes. But those ten minutes seemed like eternity as each second proved the difference between life and death. The two ended in a deadlock. Cuchulain lunged with the Gae Bulga, but Kahn managed to entangle them with his tiger swords. Cuchulain withdrew his trident, forcing Kahn's swords to link at the hooks. He then used it like a whip to extent the reach. Cuchulain countered, thrusting his spear up into the air, knocking off the swing of the blades. The blades detached from each other and Kahn fancifully caught the one airborne blade as it fell to the ground in a spin. There after, the two went back into their stances.

"Well, well, well," Kahn chuckled, "I must say that you are quite the fighter. Your skills have definitely improved."

"I can say the same about you, Kahn." Cuchulain replied. "You're just as strong as before."

"And with that same strength, I will eliminate you!" Kahn suddenly disappeared into the darkness. "You thought I was dangerous before? You haven't seen anything like this!" Suddenly Kahn appeared behind Cuchulain. Cuchulain turned to strike at the attacking shinobi. But as he did, he realized that what he struck was only a shadow image. Kahn suddenly appeared again to the side, again the Hound struck, and again the shinobi vanished. Cuchulain suddenly saw Kahn appear again. This time, he had no time to react and the shinobi slashed him across the chest. Cuchulain backed, staggering at first. He gazed down to see a massive cut run from his chest to his lower abdomen.

"What was that?" Cuchulain thought to himself. "I could have sworn he was right within striking range." Cuchulain gazed up. "Was that an after image technique?"

"No." Kahn uttered. "That concept is too simple for this particular attack. An after image is only the configured apparition of an object that used to be there. But this technique is a little more complex. It is what I like to call Darkness Decoys. It is a combination of the after image and a delayed energy spread technique. I am able to concentrate my energy so thoroughly that I am able to leave a trace of it behind even after I have moved from that area. In other words, while, I am making a separate move from another direction, you still think that I'm attacking from the previous direction. This is what makes up the Darkness Decoys."

Suddenly, Kahn disappeared again and continued his onslaught. Again and again, he cut away at Cuchulain, slashing at him from all directions. Cuchulain was helpless against this new attack.

Sora grew angry as he saw his comrade being made sport of by the shinobi.

"We have to do something!" he said. "We have to help Cuchulain!"

"And what would you propose we do!" Riku implied. "If Cuchulain can't detect that ninja's movements, what makes you think we can?"

"His speed is even faster than Sojiro's Shukuchi." Kenshin said. "It far surpasses even the god-like speed of the Hiten Mitsurugi. On top of everything else, he knows how to deploy his energy so precisely. And his emotions are scattered everywhere. It must be the effects of this umbrella."

"There has to be something we can do to help." Sanosuke uttered. "That guy's gonna tear Cuchulain apart."

"I know that much. But this situation isn't exactly my field of expertise."-

"These guys are in a completely different class." Yahiko uttered. "But if Cuchulain can't hold his own against this guy, who can? Not even Kenshin can accelerate to that type of speed and agility."

By now, Cuchulain had been cut down. His leather jacket had been cut to pieces and from its rips, cuts in the Hounds flesh could be seen. But still Cuchulain stood. Sweat began to roll down his face.

"What's the matter, Cuchulain?" Kahn chuckled. "Is that the best you have? I would've expected more effort from Ulster's greatest champion. They say that the Hound of Ulster was a force to be reckoned with. But to me, you're just as threatening as a housebroken dog with no teeth."

"There has to be something that's allowing him to do this." Cuchulain stood up, with Gae Bulga in hand. "There has to be some technique to his attacks." It was then that he realized what was happening. "That's it!" He crouched down to lung with his trident and charged full speed against Kahn. Kahn easily saw the attack and dodged, but Cuchulain did his infamous 360 spin. There was a sudden clash of steel. Kahn's blades interlocked with the Gae Bulga came close to actually cutting Kahn across the throat.

"But how!" Kahn uttered.

"Found you!" Cuchulain said and thrust his trident forward. The blades cut some of Kahn's hair.

"Did you see that!" Riku said.

"He got him!" Sora chuckled.

"But how did he do it?" Kenshin asked.

"I see how you managed to do it!" Cuchulain lunged his body forward and before Kahn had a chance to withdraw his blades, which were latched onto the staff, Cuchulain grabbed opposite ends of the trident and twisted the weapon violently, the force of the twist caused both blades of the tiger swords to break off at the base of the hilt. One of the shards slashed at the side of Cuchulain's throat, causing it to bleed slightly.

"Bastard!" Kahn leaped over Cuchulain head and fired a powerful energy blast into his back. The Hound went flying into the wall, crashing through the stone. Kahn landed on the ground. He held on to only one broken hilt now. He sneered at where Cuchulain had fallen. "You idiot! You've demolished my favorite weapons!"

"Sorry about that." Cuchulain said, emerging from the rubble. His jacket and shoulder armor had been stripped from his body. His shirt half torn, revealing his muscular bosom, scarred with cuts from Kahn's blades. "I just didn't want you to have to scar me anymore than you already have. I wanna make sure to keep myself fresh for the ladies."

"Enough joking! Tell me, how did you manage to break the secret of my Darkness Decoys!"-

"Quite simple. The secret behind the decoys has nothing to do with your speed. It all has to do with the environment itself. That's why you deployed the Darkness Umbrella, so that you would have complete control over the situation. Using the shadows to your advantage, you managed to create an atmosphere that affects the senses. I'm sure we're not aware of it, or feel any different, but this shadow realm has managed to nullify all of our senses without us knowing. It's a hypnotic atmosphere that causes us to slow down. So in reality, you're not moving as fast as you say you are. You are in fact only running a mild pace. But the hypnotic spells within this umbrella caused our senses to be delayed. So we think that you're going at high speeds. Through your eyes however, fighting us is equivalent to fighting someone who's blindfolded."

"And how did you figure that out!"-

"It was from the wounds you've inflicted on me. Some of them reverberate a sharp pain, so in order to heighten my senses I concentrated more on the pain of my wounds. As a result, I managed to realize that you were in fact only walking around me! So it's all about illusions to you."-

"How the heck did he figure that out when I couldn't?" Saito uttered.

"Well, it's not everyday we confront a warrior who has the ability to cause mass hypnotic spells before. I was right though. This umbrella had something to do with it"-

Meanwhile, in the Aoiya, Goofy had arrived with Shirojo and gave a senzu to Sojiro. Sojiro stood up and shook his head.

"Thanks again." He uttered.

"T'weren't nothing!" Goofy chuckled.

"So what's been going on?"-

"The fight has been escalating." Okina said. Sojiro stood up to watch the fight.

"I'm sure that the Darkness Decoys are impressive." Cuchulain continued. "However, you must've known my reputation for being able to detect energy and the ability to read my opponent's moves and emotions. To add, I was seeking justice for Ferdia. So you knew that I would do everything in my power to stop you, no matter what. Thus, as a result, to ensure complete success over me as well as everyone else, you used your most effective attack that would guarantee victory. By creating the Darkness Umbrella, you let us into your world and into an environment that you had complete control over."

"So you know the secrets of the Umbrella." Kahn bellowed. "Any idiot could have come to that conclusion! But it doesn't matter! You will never be able to break the effects of the umbrella. There's only one way to eliminate the effects of the umbrella and that's to kill me."

"It seems the one thing that's accumulating your source of Darkness is coming from Goten.' Saito pointed out. "What if I were tempted to end his life!"

"You wouldn't be able to carry out with it."-

"And tell me why not!"-

"One, the darkness has engulfed Goten's body and has made a protective shield around him. A shield, which even your Gatotsu can't break. The second reason is even if you did manage to hinder him, his comrades would never forgive you for his death. Goten's heart has been consumed by the darkness and the light can only reemerge when I am slain!"

"Maybe that doesn't have to be the case!" Sora uttered to himself. "Maybe there's alternative to breaking the umbrella. Then again…maybe I just have high hopes."

"It doesn't matter anyway now!" Cuchulain said. "You've been deprived of your weapons. There's no chance in you beating me with only the aid of the dark element."

"The dark element may not be very effective when it comes to inflicting physical wounds. However, you're losing a lot of blood from the cuts that you've received through the battle. Your strength is dwindling quickly and your fighting capacity is half of what it was before. And besides…" Suddenly, Kahn threw the broken hilt before him and from it, a red beam of light, which accumulated a strange electrical hum came forth from the broken blade. "Who said that I was completely unarmed?" Kahn began to attack again with this new blade. He slashed at Cuchulain, but the Hound managed to dodge, in the process however, this new sword made a clean slice through the stone wall that Cuchulain had made impact with.

"Did you see that?" Sora asked.

"Where did that new weapon pop out from?" Sano added.

"I've never seen a weapon like that before." Kenshin agreed.

"A sword that accumulates light and can cut through any surface?" Saito uttered. "Where would someone get such a weapon?"

"It has to be some sort of magic!" Yahiko said.

"I see that you people are impressed with this new type of weapon." Kahn addressed. "Well, you should be."

"And where did you acquire such a unique weapon?" Lu Xun asked.

"This was given to me, compliments from my comrades, the Siths, of the 'Galactic Realm.' This sword is called a light saber, which is used by both Siths and Jedis. Quite impressive, the lot of them, knowing how to manipulate energy from even a great distance away. I believe they called it 'The Force." However, they never really encountered a man of my caliber, who can manipulate the very shadows they stood upon. This weapon can cut through any surface. Not even your Gae Bulga can't stand up to its extreme temperature, which allows a clean cut through any surface." Kahn began to advance. "Thus, I will deprive you of the Gae Bulga and send you into the afterlife!"

Kahn swung the light saber down upon Cuchulain's weapon as the Hound tried to shield the attack.

"Cuchulain's done for!" Sanosuke shouted. "There's no way his weapon will be able to withstand an attack from a sword that can cut through anything!"

"I wouldn't be so sure." Kenshin uttered.

"What do you mean?"-

"I mean look at him. Despite Kahn's warning, Cuchulain doesn't seem the least bit concerned."-

"He's right." Riku replied. "He's not even wavering. Look how cool he is, though the danger is within striking range."

"He's putting all his faith in the strength of his weapon."-

"This is it for you!" Kahn chuckled. But as he made contact with the staff of the Gae Bulga, there was a sudden electrical shock and the sword was repelled, as if held back by some invisible force. "What!" Kahn withdrew, shocked at what he had witnessed.

"Cuchulain's weapon managed to withstand the attack from Kahn's light saber." Saito uttered. "Impressive."

"But how could that skinny pole be able to hold back what a stone wall couldn't?" Sano said.

"This guy is just full of tricks." Seijuro Hiko said. "I guess there's still so much about his abilities that we don't know about yet."

"He's so calm." Kenshin uttered. A big roll of sweat rolled down the face of the shinobi.

"I don't understand." He said. "The light saber should have made a clean cut through the staff of your Gae Bulga. How in the hell was it repulsed! Explain Hound!"

"You underestimate the power of the Gae Bulga. The reason why I was able to wield the Gae Bulga was because I was able to manipulate its energy. The Gae Bulga is a part of me you might say. The weapon itself accumulates a great amount of energy, which it has adopted from me. As its wielder, I hold a great power and an even greater responsibility. Thus, I control the fate of the Gae Bulga and no one, nor anything can destroy it, but me."-

"I see. So your invincibility lies behind your weapon does it? Without it, you would be insignificant."-

"Again you assume too much about me and the Gae Bulga! I think of the Gae Bulga as a tool rather than a crutch! The Gae Bulga and I are synchronized with one another. I depend on it, just as much as it depends on me. This weapon chooses whether you are worthy to wield it, or not. If I had decided to depend upon this weapon's strength instead of my own, I would not have been able to take control of the Gae Bulga from the start."-

"And tell me how you managed to acquire such a powerful weapon from such a backwash place as ancient Erin."-

"This was given to me by the mighty warrior princess, Skya! Besides my friend Ferdia, she is the only one who truly equaled my strength! It was she who entrusted me with the Gae Bulga and I will use this weapon to the best of my abilities. It is not the weapon that made the man, but rather the man who made the weapon!"-

"Then let's see if your faith in you skills can match my own!" Kahn disappeared again and then reappeared. Using the Darkness decoys again, he attempted to catch Cuchulain off guard. However, as he dared to strike while the Hound's back was turned, Cuchulain was able to turn and block the attack. Again Kahn dared to strike and evade and again the Hound evaded and blocked. This process continued over and over again.

"Look at that." Yahiko uttered. "Now all of a sudden, Cuchulain's countering every attack that Kahn throws at him."

"But how's he able to do that?" Sano asked.

"You moron." Saito uttered. "Are you that thick headed? It should be perfectly obvious."

"What did you say!"-

"The movements deployed are the same." Kenshin said. "However, there is a big difference in battle strategy."

"Observe." Saito said. Sano looked hard and suddenly saw a flash of red within the shadows.

"Did you see that?" Sano asked.

"And that's what we were trying to point out." Saito said. "Kahn has put too much faith into that new weapon of his that he doesn't realize the drawback of it yet."

"What drawback is that?" Sora asked.

"It's the light saber itself." Riku explained. "Sure the light saber can cut through any surface and is quite the unique weapon, but trying to stealthily use it against an opponent is utterly impossible."

"Why's that?"-

"Not only does the light saber accumulate bright light, but it also accumulates that bizarre humming sound. To Cuchulain, the sound is like a warning bell and gives him a precise direction of where it's coming from. To add, the light also attracts him like a beacon. So it doesn't matter how fast, Kahn is going, he can't extinguish the light patterns made by the light saber."-

"You'd think that Kahn would be able to realize that." Lu Xun implied. "Being a skilled ninja, he should know better than to use such a noisy weapon."

"That's just the thing. Why would he use something like that in the first place? Perhaps it's the fact that he puts too much faith in the weapon's abilities alone. The light saber must've appealed to him. He saw how the Siths and Jedis used them and he probably wanted to use that edge to his advantage."

"Couldn't he just retract the blade and then deploy again when he was within a striking range?" Sora asked.

"That takes too long and causes that sharp electrical sound. That would definitely catch Cuchulain's attention."-

The fight was not going well now for Kahn. What seemed like an excellent strategy had been rendered useless by the Hound of Ulster.

"Have you had enough yet?" Cuchulain said.

"Go ahead and praise yourself." Kahn uttered. "You still haven't managed to scathe me and it seems that the wounds I inflicted are beginning to take effect."

"You may be right there, but I will not stop until I know you are dead and Ferdia's death has been avenged."-

"Then, I'll just fight you directly!" Kahn attacked head on, clashing with Cuchulain, trident against light saber. The light from the saber was mesmerizing and almost hypnotic. The fight raged on for five minutes, but in the end. Cuchulain, due to his wounds, began to falter with every blow given and received.

"It seems that you've reached your limit." Kahn said. Cuchulain fell to his knees. "This battle has been prolonged to the point where you are no longer able to fight me." Cuchulain only stood up, staggering to his feet.

"I won't give up. I will take revenge for my best friend!"-

"That is if you have enough energy left to carry it out." Kahn stretched out his hand and began to blast sound waves into the Hound's body. Cuchulain held his ground and took every blow, despite his energy being depleted at an extremely rapid pace. "You know, I don't think I will give you an instant death. I want to watch you suffer for the time being. Your insolence to me will be repented."

"So you take pleasure in torturing people?"-

"Only when it comes to impudent, heroic youths like you."-

Cuchulain fell to his hands and knees, giving way to exhaustion. Kahn stood over the Hound and held his light saber up into the air. Cuchulain's knees and arms gave way and he fell to ground, his weapon still clutched in his fingers.

"Come on, Cuchulain!" Riku cried. "Get up!"

"You fools!" Kahn chuckled. "Can you not see for yourselves how utterly futile it is! The boy no longer has the strength to stand, let alone fight!" Kahn held his saber even higher over his head. "Now you will witness as I smite this whelp with all my hatred!"

"I can't believe that it's over. How could I have failed?" Cuchulain uttered to himself. "I just wasn't strong enough. The circumstances of this battle have proven that. Fate has turned against me and I could not fulfill my vow. Ferdia, I am sorry. I could not avenge your death."

"You should curse your own impotence for determining this fight's outcome!" Kahn thrust down his saber. "Now die!"

It seemed the end for Cuchulain and he could see everything flash in front of him as time went in slow motion. He recalled his home, his friends, his family, and the face of his dearly departed friend. But as Cuchulain drew upon the face of Ferdia in his mind. His rage began to overwhelm him as well as his fight to avenge his friend. But also, besides his goal, he realized that if he did not fight back, then Sora, Riku, Kenshin, Sanosuke, and all the others whom he tried to protect from this fight, would meet the same fate as his home did.

"No! I can't die yet! I won't die yet!" Cuchulain suddenly emerged with great energy and lunged at Kahn. The shinobi was taken completely by surprise and were knocked simultaneously by the Hound. He struck Kahn with a multi-jab strike. He pummeled the ninja into the air and knocked him to the ground, rebound and struck with one of his ultimate attacks. "Ulster Sudden Death!" With a powerful thrusting attack of the Gae Bulga, Cuchulain sent Kahn slamming into the stone wall as well. Cuchulain fell to the ground, completely exhausted.

"Did you see that?" Sora said. "I've never seen Cuchulain move like that before."

"He toppled that shinobi good!" Yahiko said.

"Come on Cuchulain!" Misao shouted. "Give that guy a good butt kicking! Come one, get in there and pound him into the ground."

"That's enough, Misao." Miss Kaoru uttered. "I understand your excitement. But don't you think you can tone it down a little bit."

"That attack was incredible, that it was." Kenshin said. "Cuchulain certainly is a fine warrior, that he is."

"You said it." Sanosuke added. "There's no way a guy like that could stand up after one of those attacks."

"It's not over yet though." Riku implied. They looked at Riku in a dumbfounded way.

"What do you mean, Riku?" Sora asked.

"If you would be so kind to explain." Lu Xun added.

"I still feel an uneasiness lurking about. That means that Kahn is still alive."-

"Are you sure?"-

"Riku's right." Kenshin added. "There is still a presence lingering about."

But that presence became more clear as there suddenly was a massive explosion bellowing and the section of the stone wall, where Kahn had made impact, was demolished.

"What was that!" Sora uttered. The group looked to see a figure appear out of the smoke, dust, and falling rubble. Kahn emerged dirty and angry. His armor had been cracked down the front and back. A piece of the broken armor had fallen from his abdomen area. Blood ran down his face now and his uniform had been completely tattered. He sneered ferociously at the fallen Hound.

"No one has ever done that to me!" Kahn scowled. "No one!" Cuchulain tried to stand up, but Kahn kicked him in the face. The Hound went flying through the air and fell to the ground. Blood continued to spurt from his already tattered body. He tried to rise on his hands and knees. But Kahn wrapped his arm around Cuchulain's throat and began to strangle him. Cuchulain struggled, but couldn't break Kahn's grip. "You will die today!"

But as Cuchulain's strength gave way, there was a sudden strike and Kahn was sent forward into the dust. The angry shinobi looked up to see Sora standing next to Cuchulain.

"In order to kill Cuchulain," Sora implied, "you'll have to go through me first."

"And me." Riku added.

"And me." Kenshin agreed.

"Me too." Sano added.

"Same here." Miss Kaoru said.

"You'll pay." Misao uttered.

"It's the end for you." Seijuro and Lu Xun said.

"Justice will be served." Saito added.

The party enclosed around Kahn. He stood up and slightly backed off.

"Going somewhere." A voice uttered from behind. Kahn looked to see Sojiro and the other members of the Oniwaban emerging from the Aoiya.

"It can't be!" Kahn said. "You're dead! You're dead!"

"Not anymore!"-

"It's over for you, Kahn." Riku implied. "You're alone. You might have been able to fight off Cuchulain, but he's weakened you substantially. Now we take revenge for him and everyone else you've hurt and killed."

"You really think this is over for Kahn of the Cavendish Shinobis!" Kahn said.


	12. The Final Fight: Kai's Declaration

The Final Fight: Kai's Declaration

The party continued to enclose Kahn. They drew there weapons ready to fight him. Kahn however, only began to chuckle ferociously.

"What can possibly be so funny?" Saito asked.

"You truly have underestimated me." Kahn replied. "Apparently, you have underestimated the power of Master Kahn, second in command of the Cavendish Shinobis!" Kahn suddenly disappeared and reemerged behind the party. He found one of the sword hilts and using psychic powers, he lured the hilt into his hand. He then deployed the light saber again. "Cuchulain's weapon was impressive. It was able to withstand the intense heat of the light saber. But how will your own weapons stand against me!" Kahn disappeared again and reappeared before the group. Taking a 360 turn, he cut all the weapons of the party in half, spare for Riku, Sora, and the other members of the KH group. Kenshin's reverse-blade sword was cut in two as if his blade were made of butter. Saito Seijuro, and Kaoru's sword were destroyed instantly. "Does anyone else wish to confront the wrath of Kahn."

"You bastard!" Sora shouted deploying his sword. Kahn only disappeared again and reappeared behind Sora.

"Not even your sword can stand up to this light saber." But as the sword made impact, Kahn was again shocked, realizing that Sora's sword also managed to withstand the heat from the light saber. "How can this be?"

"I see now." Riku said. "Our swords are protected by the power of the rune. Therefore, your light saber can't cut through ours either!" Riku jumped up and cut the hilt of the light saber in half, leaving Kahn unarmed. "Sorry Kahn! Your chances of retaliation have been denied."

"You'll pay for this!" Kahn roared.

"Give it up already." Sanosuke said. "Its over."

"Yes, you're right there, boy! It's over alright…for you!" Kahn suddenly burst into the air, almost touching the top of the dome. "You've humiliated me long enough! Therefore, I will use the full bulk of my remaining energy to destroy you all!" The ground suddenly rumbled beneath the feet of the KH and Kenshin groups, the wind picked up ten fold and structures were being destroyed before their eyes.

"What the hell is he trying to do!"-

"Imbeciles! This is my ultimate attack called the Apocalypse Dome! I convert all of my energy to manipulate Goten's energy! When reaching my full mark of strength, I will deploy a great wave of darkness that will consume you entirely! Everything within this dome will be polluted by my negative energy and destroyed! There is no way that any of you will possibly be able to escape its effects in less that a minute! One minute to say your prayers, and then all will be ended!"-

"One minute!" Yahiko cried.

"Kenshin! Do something!" Miss Kaoru said, grasping onto the Battousai's shoulder.

"There's nothing I can do against something like this." Kenshin uttered. "I'm useless in this particular situation. He's too high for me to reach. And even if I did managed to reach him, he'd see my attack before it could get within an effective striking range."

"Not to mention, these winds are intense." Lu Xun said. "What'll we do!"

"I told you to leave everything to me…" a voice uttered. The team looked to see Cuchulain stagger to his feet. "This is my fight and mine alone! I will take revenge for my friend, Ferdia."

"But Cuchulain," Sora implied, "you don't have enough strength left."

"I told you before, Sora. Never underestimate the strength of the Hound of Ulster." Cuchulain stood up and began to near Kahn, who was still powering up.

"You standing again, boy!" Kahn chuckled. "If you planned on doing something, you should have done it before all this! Now, I'm no longer within your reach and this entire city will be consumed by darkness in less that thirty seconds! You and your comrades are doomed!"

"Then as the Hound I will make one last effort!" With the Gae Bulga clutched in his hand and held it over his head. "For Ferdia, for my family, for my home and the Red Branch, for all worlds, for my fellows in arms, I will see you dead!" Cuchulain thrust forth the Gae Bulga straight at Kahn. The ear piercing scream of the Gae Bulga could be heard for miles around. But despite the flying rubble and gusting winds, Kahn saw the Gae Bulga come straight at him. Thus, as the spear was about to strike, Kahn vanished and reappeared in the same place as soon as the Gae Bulga passed harmlessly by him.

"Oh no!" Sano uttered.

"It missed!" Riku said.

"It's over for us then!" Kenshin uttered. "It truly is over."

"Ha! Ha! You fool!" Kahn chuckled. "Your last ditch effort and you failed! Did you really think that an attack from the ground could outdo my observation from this altitude!" However, Cuchulain's smile did not diminish. "Are you so caught up in such a false hope that you don't even realize the inevitable end of your lives!"

"It is you who are the fool and it is your life that has ended." Cuchulain said. "You truly don't understand the nature of the Gae Bulga!" It was then that Kahn heard that same loud scream. This time it was closer than ever. "You should know better than to turn your back on the Gae Bulga when it's in flight! And since you are the one accumulating the most energy, you will be the Gae Bulga's target!" Kahn suddenly turned to see the three prongs of the Gae Bulga coming ever closer. "And the Gae Bulga never misses!"

"Impossible!" Instantly, before Kahn could react, the Gae Bulga struck the place where the armor was broken and impaled straight through the shinobi. Kahn went flying down to the ground and broke through several homes and walls before finally hitting a stone wall a block away from the Aoiya. It didn't take long for Cuchulain and the others to hobble where Kahn was impaled. "How can this be? I am Kahn, master of the dark element, and second in command of the Cavendish Shinobis…" Kahn gazed in a blank stare before he finally fell limp on the Gae Bulga.

"It's over." Cuchulain uttered. "My dear Ferdia. You have been avenged." Within seconds, the darkness diminished and gave way to the bright, warm sun. The trial within the "Rurouni Realm" was over.

"At last, the end has come." Sora uttered. At that moment, Riku and Sora felt their bodies fill with a great energy. They had achieved two new techniques. Riku learned the power of the Darkness Decoys and Sora gained the power of the Shadow Death Wave.

"After enduring so much, we managed to survive this ordeal." Lu Xun uttered. "Well, I better go check on Goten. The umbrella's diminished, so he must be back to normal." Lu Xun went on his very way to find Goten.

Meanwhile, Cuchulain pulled the Gae Bulga from out of the shinobi's corpse. In the process, the information disk fell out from under Kahn's armor. Sora picked it up and put it in his pocket.

"That's that then." Cuchulain uttered.

"Not quite…" a voice suddenly uttered. Suddenly, Cuchulain felt a shard pain in his back. His body suddenly grew heavy and he fell to the ground.

"Cuchulain!" Sora cried. The party looked up to see Kahn sneering at them.He had survived the impact of the Gae Bulga.

"Yes, Hound." Kahn chuckled. "You had your revenge and I had mine, so now we're even!" In his hand, he held a dagger, which was about 1.5 feet long. "So the Hound has fallen by my hand after all!"

"It can't be!" Sanosuke uttered.

"He's still alive!" Kenshin added.

"Now you will all feel the wrath of Kahn!" the shinobi scowled.

"You bastard!" Riku shouted. Unsheathed his sword and leveled the shinobi's head from his shoulders. Thus, the mighty Kahn finally fell dead. "Try coming back to life after that!"

"Cuchulain!" Sora shouted, rolling the Hound on his back. "Are you alright! Speak to me!" Cuchulain's blood began to drip down his mouth.

"He suffered a punctured lung." Kenshin uttered.

"Don't worry!" Goofy shouted. "I'm coming to the rescue!" Taking out his bag of senzu beans, he gave one to the dying Hound. Cuchulain, after immediately swallowing the bean, arose to his feet. He wiped the blood from his face, revealing that the wounds on his body had been completely healed.

"Once again, I've been spared a brush with death." Cuchulain uttered. "Thanks Goofy."

"It's alright."-

"Now at least we can get out of here without any further problems." Riku said. "I don't think Kahn will be coming back anytime soon."

But as he finished his statement, Riku and the others suddenly heard a loud tormented scream sounding out from the distance. It was then that Cuchulain saw a figure hovering in the air, at least a thousand yards away.

"Oh no, it can't be!" Cuchulain uttered. "It's…it's General Kai!" Riku and the others looked up to see the face of the angry shinobi leader looking down on them.

"It can't be!" Kai uttered. "It just can't be!" After witnessing the death of his closest friend, Kai filled with a great and terrible rage. He rushed at light speed into the group, causing a massive explosion, which caused Sora and the rest to be blown away. As the dust settled, there stood Kai, hovering over the impact crater. His eyes were filled with rage as he saw the reality of the situation.

"So Kai," Riku uttered, "Since you're here, fight us!"

"Oh, don't you worry about me…" Kai replied. "We'll fight, but we'll fight under my terms! We fight in a time and place of my choosing! So don't bother using the information disk, because I've decided to make a few last minute adjustments!" Kai picked up the body and severed head of his closest friend. "You've killed my best friend! A friend whom I've known since childhood! Do you know how it feels to lose your best friend!" Kai's eyes grew tighter in rage and he made a sinister smirk on his face. "Well, you will soon find out, Riku, what it means to lose a best friend!" Kai gazed at Sora. "That's right! I'll exact my revenge by doing the same to you, Riku! I will make you suffer such a loss by killing your closest friend!"

" No you don't!" Riku shouted, putting himself in front of Sora.

"And why not! You took my friend's life away! It should only be fair that I return the favor!"-

"If you touch Sora, I'll kill you!"-

"Not if I kill you first! Either way, whether you die, or he dies, it doesn't make any difference! You will suffer sooner, or later at such a loss!"-

"You will not harm them!" Cuchulain shouted.

"You stay out of this, Hound! This is none of your business!"-

"Oh yes, I'd say that this affair concerns me very much! I'm glad that your friend is dead! My revenge has been fulfilled! It was your best friend that killed my best friend, Ferdia, back in my homeland! The loss that I felt then is the loss that you feel now!"-

"But this is different! Kahn was of noble blood! He was like me, a person high in esteemed status!"-

"Ferdia and I were like you as well! As esteemed members of the Red Branch, we held a high reputation within all of Erin that we were the greatest fighters ever to live! So what makes you different from me, besides the cause to which we fight!"-

"Very well then." Kai uttered. He turned to Riku and Sora. "I hope that you two enjoy your last few days of friendship together, because I guarantee that in the future, one of you will die! Then, my revenge will be fulfilled! This time, I will not hold back, I will show you the true wrath of General Kai of the Cavendish Shinobis!" Kai turned his head towards Riku. "You especially better watch out! Because sooner, or later, you'll find me ramming a sword into your chest!"

"I'll be sure to come well protected then." Riku replied. Kai sneered ferociously and flew off into the distance, only to disappear from sight.

"Sometimes, I can't help, but feel sorry for him." Cuchulain uttered.

"Are you listening to yourself, Cuchulain!" Sora uttered. "How can you cay that! He just threatened to take either my life, of Riku's."

"Then, he'll only be feeling what I feel now. It's easy to kill someone when they're a stranger to you who dares to stand in your way. It's an entirely different matter to kill someone you know is a friend to someone else. And then later to confront that vengeful friend who wants retribution for the death of their comrade. If I had managed to deal that final blow and make his death permanent, then Kai's rage would have been fixed on me. Then, at least if I died, I'd be united with Ferdia. But now, he wants revenge on you two and will take the life of one and leave the other in despair."-

Riku suddenly pounded his fist to the ground.

"Damn it all!" he shouted.

"What's wrong?" Sora asked.

"If I had only managed to fight and defeat him here, then at least we would've been able to cut our journey a little shorter. We would have saved Kairi sooner and would've been on our way home earlier. But because of my incompetence, I let that one chance slip between my fingers. I hate Kai, I hate Arakis, I hate the Dark Empire and this sick little game that they're playing with us! They toy with out lives for the sake of their own twisted amusement! Well I can tell you this much, when the time comes again, and I confront either Kai, or Arakis, I will fight them no holds barge! I won't hold back! I will kill them!"

"Riku…" Sora uttered. The thoughts of the fight he had with Arakis still dwelled deep within his mind and his guilt still throbbed in his heart. "I should've finished that fight with Arakis no matter what! But what chance would I have against someone like him by myself."

"You say something, Sora?"-

"Oh, nothing, Riku! Nothing at all!"-

"Hey!" Lu Xun shouted from a distance away. The group saw him carrying Goten, with one arm around his neck. Goten continued to stagger as he tried to walk himself, but slipped every once in a while. "Goten could use a whiff of Curaga!"-

"Just a moment!" Sora said. He turned to Donald. "Donald?"-

"Right ahead of you!" Donald replied. "Stand still Goten!" Donald cast the Curaga and Goten was back on his feet.

"Thanks, you guys!" he replied.

"Now what?" Lu Xun asked.

"We return to Traverse Town." Cuchulain replied. "Sneer wants us to carry out with a new mission."

"All of us?" Mickey asked.

"No, Your Majesty. Only Lu Xun, Goten, and I are to report back. You five are to continue on your way and defeat the last of the Cavendish Shinobis."-

"Then let's get going." Goten said.

"Thank you all for helping us." Kenshin said. "We're glad that you came along when you did, that we are."

"If it wasn't for you guys giving us a hand, we'd still be duking it out with Kahn." Sanosuke added.

"Sorry about the destruction of Kyoto." Lu Xun said.

"Don't worry." Kenshin replied. "Kyoto will be rebuilt to its former glory, that it will."

"But what about everything that's happened though?" Kaoru asked. "Don't you think the locals will be scarred for life after what went on?"

"It'll most likely be dubbed as a natural disaster." Saito implied.

"What about the power stones?" Goofy asked.

"Oh, that's right! We forgot all about the power stones!" Yahiko said.

"Did someone ask for these!" a voice sounded. The group turned to see Omasu and Ochika gazing down at them from atop a demolished building.

"Omasu! Ochika!" Misao cried. The two your women descended to the ground and handed them to Lu Xun.

"Here you go, safe and sound."-

"Thank you very much." Lu Xun replied as he retrieved the box. He opened it and there they were, the three bright gems of yellow, blue, and red. "We can give these back to Sneer in Oceansburg."

"Well, either way, I'm just glad to see that everyone is still alive and kicking." Kaoru said. "Everyone has returned to normal."

"Does that include me as well?" a voice uttered from behind. The group turned to see a familiar face and former foe walking towards them.

"Aoshi Shinomori!" Yahiko uttered.

"Aoshi," Kenshin said with a silly grin on his face, "I see that you've returned to normal, that you have."

Aoshi walked up to Misao and the other members of the Oniwaban group.

"Can you ever forgive a man blinded by darkness all this time?" he uttered.

"Well, I don't know…" Misao said, turning her back on him. "I guess I could forgive you just this once, Lord Aoshi." She turned towards him again and lunged at him, hugging Aoshi tightly. "Aw, what the heck! I forgive you!"

"I'm glad to see that Aoshi's back to normal, that I am." Kenshin chuckled. He then turned to the KH team and the members of the Alliance. Kenshin presented himself to Riku and held out his hand. "We thank you all for what you've done for us, that we are." Riku grasped Kenshin's hand and engaged in a hardy handshake.

"The pleasure was ours."-

"But by all means take this as a token of our gratitude."-

"You might say that they may come in handy later." Saito uttered as he lit a cigarette. Kenshin handed three energy icons to the party.

"Thank you." Riku said. He handed one icon to Mickey and the other to Sora. He kept the third for himself. They were new abilities. Riku inherited Kenshin's Kuzu ryu sen, Mickey was given Saito's four styles of Gatotsu, and Sora was given Kenshin's ultimate attack of the Hiten Mitsurugi style, the Amakakeru ryu no hirameki. With a final farewell, Riku, Sora, and the others left Kenshin and his friends and headed back to where their cruisers awaited them.

The parties were prepared to board their separate ships and set off for their separate destinations. While Sora, Riku, and the KH team would look for Kai and rescue Kairi; Cuchulain, Goten, and Lu Xun would return to Traverse Town and Oceansburg to fulfill their mission and carry out with the next.

"So hopefully, we'll see you back in Traverse Town." Cuchulain said.

"Same here." Sora replied. They prepared to beam themselves back up when they heard someone approaching them. They turned to see Sojiro Seta running towards them.

"Hey, wait up!" he cried.

"Sojiro?" Sora uttered. "What're you doing here?"

"Please, take me with you!" he said.

"Take you with us?"-

"That's out of the question!" Riku explained. "We can't get you involved in any of this anymore than we have already."

"He does have a point, Sojiro. You have your entire life in front of you. You can start all over again. You have Kenshin and the others to be with."-

"But I have nothing left to live for here anymore." Sojiro explained. "Besides, I'm intrigued with where you came from."

"Well, I guess we could…"-

"Of course he can!" Cuchulain implied. He placed his hand on Sojiro's shoulder. "Listen, kid, you can come with us and we can integrate you into our group. What do you say?"

"Alright." Sojiro replied.

"We'll see if we can get you a new wardrobe too."-

"OK, you guys," Lu Xun said, "We'll see you later."

"See ya!" Sora replied. With that Sojiro, Goten, Cuchulain, and Lu Xun vanished from sight, leaving Sora, Riku, and the others to deal with their own affairs.

"Well, shall we get going too?" Mickey implied.

"That we shall. Let's get on our way to find General Kai." Riku said. "That way, we can finish this twisted little game of theirs."

"Wait a minute!" Donald said. "We don't even know where Kai is! Remember, he said that he changed the location of his whereabouts!"

"That's right!" Mickey added. "He did change the location of his whereabouts. So what do we do?"

"Well, it couldn't hurt to see what was on the data disk." Sora explained. He pulled out the disk that he took off of Kahn. They returned to the cruiser and placed the information disk into their decoder.

_New orders! General Kai has been assigned to participate in the assault against the stronghold at Hollow Bastion. We will take over that world and see if we can reopen the door to darkness by using the sophisticated technology, which had been developed by the previous leader of that world, Lord Ansem._

"Are you kidding me!" Sora uttered, fearfully. "The Dark Empire is attempting to reopen the door to darkness!"

"That's impossible for them to do that!" Mickey said. "The door to darkness has been shut forever! Nothing can ever open it again, nothing!"

"But do we really wanna take that chance? We're seen what the Dark Empire can do. There's no reason why they shouldn't successfully reopen the door."-

"We can't let 'em do it!" Goofy said. "Then we'd be doing the same thing all over again!"

"The best course of action would be to stop the Empire's assault on Hollow Bastion." Mickey implied.

"I would have to agree with Mickey." Donald said. "We let the Empire have a chance, they might just pull it off!"

"Delays," Riku uttered, "Delays! Nothing, but delays! Every time we're so close to achieving our goal, more people have to be rescued! The Empire is really starting to tick me off!"

"Now, now," Sora said, "Calm down, Riku. It's not as if this entire trek has been easy for any of us."

"But don't you see, Sora! With every passing minute, Kairi's life could be put in jeopardy! I just want this all to end so we can finally go home and live in peace! But the Empire causes us to procrastinate! Procrastinate with every turn we take!"

"Riku…" Sora grabbed him by the shoulders and looked straight into his eyes. "It's no walk the park for me either. I wanna save Kairi as much as you do, but we can't rush into battle without any leads of the enemy's whereabouts. Otherwise we'd be going around searching worlds at random. Each world is vast. Some vaster than others and we're searching for one, or two individuals. What are the chances of us actually finding them?"

"You do have a point." Riku calmed down and gazed into Sora's sky blue eyes. "I have to calm down. Raving in rage won't help our cause a bit. Let's go to Hollow Bastion and give them a hand then."

"That's the spirit!"-

With that, the KH team took off in their Gummi ship and headed towards Hollow Bastion, ready to give their immediate assistance.

Meanwhile, Kenshin and the others gazed around at the damaged area of Kyoto. There was a great amount of work to be done and their spirits were high.

"This city will return to its former glory!" Misao shouted.

"That's the spirit, Misao!" Miss Kaoru replied.

"After so much hell that's gone on," Sano said, "I could use a nice long rest."

"I'm just relived that it's all over, that I am." Kenshin added.

"On the contrary," a loud voice suddenly blew out, "Your hell has just begun!"

"Who's there?"-

Kenshin and his friends gazed around to see who had spoken.

"Look Kenshin!" Yahiko shouted out. "Up there on the roof top of the Aoiya!" The group gazed up to see a man cloaked in black with a cavalier style hat and a large plume. His one red eye gazed at them.

"Who are you?"-

"Does it really matter now?" The figure implied.


	13. Defense of Hollow Bastion

Defense of Hollow Bastion

It wasn't long before Sora and the others reached their destination at Hollow Bastion. There it stood in all it's grandeur as it appeared from out of the morning mist.

"Hollow Bastion," Mickey shouted, "dead ahead!"

However, as the little gummi began to near it, they eventually saw flashed of light accumulating around the castle. As they drew nearer, the flashes of light soon became apparent that they were energy beams and explosions.

"Look at that!" Sora said. "Hollow Bastion is being bombarded!"

"It's the Dark Empire!" Riku replied as he pointed to the banners waving in the air. "That is the symbol of the Dark Empire, the infamous Cross of Conquest!"

"We have to avoid contact with their batteries." Donald said. "Otherwise, they'll attempt to shoot us down. I'll pull us up a little higher and place the gummi over the top tiers of Hollow Bastion." Donald ascended the gummi far over the battery reach and descended onto the highest platform of Hollow Bastion. The five stepped out of the ship and gazed down at the constant barrage from the artillery. Hollow Bastion, due to its excessively strong walls was able to withstand impact from the battery barrages. Energy Beams only caused minor damage to the walls. Hollow Bastion itself had been armed with special artillery weapons to help defend the fortress itself.

"Let's go down and see if we can find whoever's in charge." Mickey said. "Hurry, we have to help as best we can."

The five ran down to the lower levels. They jumped off platforms and using Super Glide, they reached the lover levels. As they descended, they saw upon some of the abandoned ramparts, the bodies of the slain men. There had been fierce hand to hand combat there and both sides found these areas to be insignificant. The barrage continued as energy beams flew over their heads.

"I wonder how long this siege has been going on." Donald asked.

"By the looks of it," Mickey implied, "It's been going on for some time now."

"Hey look!" Goofy said. He pointed to show a mass of Imperials coming towards them.

"Brace yourselves guys," Sora said as he drew out his sword, "We have company!"

"Well, I think this is the perfect opportunity for us to try out our new techniques, eh Sora?" Riku said. He rushed forth with his sword drawn. "Kuzu ryu sen!" Using the technique given to him by Kenshin Himura, Riku rushed through the ranks at great speed and eliminated ten Imperials at once. One Imperial dared to strike at him, but Riku countered with the Darkness Decoy technique and vanished from the sight of the Imperial. He then emerged again and struck at the soldier. Sora attacked as well and deployed the infamous Shadow Death Wave. The darkness energy wave spread throughout the ranks, killing many of the Imperials instantly. But still they kept coming. Mickey rushed forwards using the Gatotsu that he got from Saito. Thrusting and slashing, he diminished many more Imperials. At the same time, Donald was using a constant barrage of the elemental attacks and Goofy went in with shield drawn and continued to use his Tornado Spin and rush attacks. Still. Despite these efforts, the Imperials kept coming. Riku used all the energy attacks he had learned like the Iceberg Shurikens, Cinder Canister, and Hurricane Slash. Sora battled with the power of Ragnarok and Ars Arcanum, along with Tundra Canister, Twister Strike, and even the powerful Trinity Limit. But by using all these powerful attacks, they quickly exhausted their supply of ether and potion. Still, the Imperials came and eventually the KH team had to give ground.

"Where the heck are all these guys coming from?" Sora said.

"It's like there is no sign of them stopping!" Mickey added.

"We'll have to figure something out!" Donald said.

"Don't give up!" Goofy cried.

Suddenly, they heard rumbling behind them. The party turned for a minute to see a beam cannon aimed straight at them.

"Get out of the way!" a voice cried. "KH team, get out of the way now!"

Sora and the others did what they were told and dodged out of the line of fire.

"Open fire!"-

There was a powerful blast of energy from the cannon and the Imperials who were attacking were blown away. Many fell to their deaths down towards the basin of the grand fortress. Others continued to plow forward.

"We'll need time to recharge the cannon to full strength."-

"Then, we have to fight these Imperials hand to hand!"-

A warrior suddenly emerged from behind the cannon and presented himself before the oncoming onslaught. When Sora placed eyes on this dashing young warrior, armed with a rather large sword, he knew right away who it was.

"Cloud?" he uttered. "Cloud Strife?"

"It's been a long time hasn't it, Sora." Cloud replied. "Glad to see that you've come to give us a hand!" Cloud turned towards the ranks of massed defenders. "Alright Leon, give it to them!"

"Leon's here too?" Goofy asked.

"Good to see that you're still alive!" Leon shouted out. He drew out his Gunblade and gave the order to attack. From behind the cannon, hundreds of defenders came charging into the ranks of the Imperials. There was bloody fighting as men by the scores. Blood was shed on the thin walkways as sword and shield clashed with one another. Artillery from Hollow Bastion aimed at the oncoming Imperials and eliminated a great many number of their ranks.

"Come on boys!" Cloud cried. "Push them back!"

"Let's get 'em!" Sora shouted as he, Riku, and the rest of the KH team joined the fight as well. For a good fool minutes, the battle accelerated in ferocity. Eventually, the Empire's soldiers had no other choice, but to withdraw. There was a grand cheer from the defenders. As The Imperials retreated, the soldiers of Hollow Bastion returned to their posts and stood guard, ready to engage in the next confrontation.

Cloud and Leon met up with the KH team to see if they needed further aid. The KH team was restocked with potions and ethers.

"So tell me what brings you here?" Cloud asked.

"We came here to fulfill our mission." Mickey said.

"Yeah." Goofy added. "Something about the Imperials wanting to open the door to darkness again."

"What was this?" Leon asked. "They've come to reopen the door to darkness?"

"But it's impossible to reopen the door." Cloud added. "The door to darkness has been sealed forever and we destroyed all the technological facilities of Ansem's Darkness Project."

"Then why would they attack Hollow Bastion?"-

"Well, we understand that the Imperials are hoping to resurrect the door to darkness." Sora said.

"Is there something that we might have overlooked?" Cloud thought. "Perhaps there's something missing?"

"By the way, Leon, what are you doing here anyway? I thought that you were back at Traverse Town."-

"When I heard that Hollow Bastion was being under attack, I had to help defend it." Leon explained. "I was given permission by Sneer. Besides, he has that company of Alliance soldiers to protect the place. He thought it best that I look to the fate of my own home this time."

"How long has this siege been going on?" Riku asked.

"At least three days."-

"I don't understand though." Cloud uttered. "Why would they come here of all places when they know that there is nothing left of Ansem's work. We destroyed all evidence of his discovery to the Heartless in order to not repeat further mistakes made in the past."

"Maybe there's something about the Heartless and the door to darkness that the Dark Empire knows about that we still need to acknowledge."-

"That would explain why the Empire has declared to attack Hollow Bastion. Perhaps Ansem left something behind for future scientist to discover. Geniuses like him always keep spare information hidden away in case the truth needs to be revealed again."-

"But at this rate, Hollow Bastion will fall to the forces of the Empire." Mickey implied. "Despite the bravery of all the soldiers and warriors here, they won't be able to stand against such a powerful foe infinitely."

"Then, we'll just have to somehow break their supply lines!" A voice shouted. The party looked up to see Yuffie descending upon them.

"Yuffie?" Sora asked. "You're here too?"

"Of course."-

"Did you manage to collect any data from the enemy lines?" Leon asked.

"Of course I did."-

"Well, tell us what you found out?"-

"I found out where the endless numbers of men were coming from." She ran to the ramparts, to the highest observation station. The others followed her. She took out a pair of binoculars and pointed out into the horizon. "Look over there just right of the Imperial pontoon!"-

Leon gazed into the binoculars and looked to the furthest horizon. He observed what looked like a large ring erected horizontally upon the ground.

"What is that thing?" Leon asked, as he passed the binoculars to Cloud.

"That looks like some sort of teleportation gate." Yuffie explained. "That's the reason why there is an endless amount of troops appearing to make the charges every time."

"So that's how they did it." Cloud said, passing the binoculars to Riku. "By using that gate, they can deploy as much manpower and ammunition as they please. They could deploy an entire legion here if they wanted to. If an entire legion were to attack, we wouldn't be able to stop them."

"Uh…why not?" Goofy asked.

"You seem to have everything under control." Riku added. "Your soldiers have managed to maintain a strong defense of the castle."

"For now they have, but there are only ten thousand of us here to fight off the forces of the Dark Empire." Leon said. "The legions of the Dark Empire are far greater than that though. If they decide to send in a full legion to attack us, even the best of our soldiers would be completely overwhelmed."

"Well precisely how many men are in a legion?" Sora asked.

"Sneer tells me that there may be a total of 500 million men within its ranks." A shocking look of terror came over the faces of the KH team.

"500 million?"-

"But that can't be!" Donald shouted. "How could there be that many soldiers in one place at one time?"

"If they were to send a legion against us, they would send in one wave at a time, trying to tire our defense out." Leon uttered. "Eventually, we would give in to exhaustion."

"But Leon," Cloud explained, "it wouldn't be the legion that I would worry about, but rather the heavy artillery that they would be transporting. Up until now, we've only been barraged by light artillery and nothing more. I've seen the heavy duty siege guns that they use. With heavy artillery, they could level the entire castle within minutes."

"Then, there's only one thing we can do." Riku said. "We'll just have to cut off their manpower and supplies."

"What do you mean?" Yuffie asked. "Are you suggesting, Riku, that we attack the Imperial forces head on?"

"That's exactly what I'm saying."-

"That's impossible though." Leon said.

"Why? Why is it impossible?"-

"That's why!" Leon pointed to the Imperial pontoon bridge. The bridge consisted of metal pieces that connected together to make an excessively long bridge that could reach up to the defenses of Hollow Bastion. "That pontoon bridge that was set up by the Dark Empire is now the only access ramp to go either in, or out. If we try to attack the Imperials lines with all our forces, the Empire could easily demolish the pontoon to their will. For the passed three days, the Imperials forces have always attacked at least twenty five times since the siege began. Their bombardment would be random at times. So far, this is the longest cease fire that we've had. They always maintain a cease fire until all their men have crossed safely back to the Imperials lines."

"When do they usually attack?" Sora asked.

"They attack every five hours, or so." Yuffie uttered. "But after this, they won't have to worry about a time limit; they could always attack us from another direction."

"What do you mean by that?" Cloud asked.

"I mean that!" Yuffie pointed out to reveal that a second and third pontoon bridge was being constructed.

"More spittoon bridges?" Goofy said.

"Pontoon!" Donald said.

"Yeah! What you said!"-

"They're constructing two more pontoons?" Cloud said.

"Make that four more pontoons!" Sora shouted as he pointed to the opposite side of the gate. There the party saw more pontoon pieces being connected across the waters of the rising falls.

"Oh God!" Leon said. "That's just out of the question."

"We have enough trouble trying to hold off the attacks from across one pontoon bridge" Cloud added. "Now there are four more being built?"

"Then we have no other choice, but to go with Riku's plan. If we attack the Imperial lines and take out that teleportation gate, we could easily cut their strength to the limit. Pretty soon we will have no trouble fighting them off."-

"But wait though. If we send in even a quarter of our forces, we'll further decrease our efforts to protect this city."-

"You do have point."-

The party looked down, dropping all hope of ever carrying out with a plan to help foil the attack on Hollow Bastion. Sora then looked at the tattered remains of Imperials soldiers. Just then, he was stricken with an idea.

"Maybe we don't have to go so far as that." He uttered.

"What do you mean?" Riku asked.

"Care to clue us in?" Donald said, thumping his foot.

"All we have to do is disguise ourselves." Sora picked up one of the tinted helmets. "Disguise ourselves as Imperials and infiltrate their lines."

"Great idea.' Riku said.

"Hang on, you two." Cloud said. "You may disguise yourselves, but the Imperial forces are on the constant lookout on the pontoon. If there is anyone else who dares to cross the bridge after an attack has been long over, that person will be killed, whether they're dressed as Imperials, or not. The Empire isn't taking any chances to let spies penetrate the lines."

"Well, it was a nice try though." Sora said.

"What're you talking about?" Riku implied. "This'll work perfectly. We don't go on in the dead of night, or stealthily in the day. No, instead we'll linger with the Imperials after their next attack. Do you know when the Imperials will be attacking again?"

"Within the next five hours, or so." Leon replied.

"Then this is how we'll orchestrate our initiative." Riku began to explain his plan to his comrades.

Within the next five hours, there was constant barrage fire as both sides fired energy beams and projectiles at each other's lines. The castle met the onslaught head on, inflicting her own damage against the Imperials.

By this time, Riku and Sora had disguised themselves as Imperial soldiers.

"Are you sure that you just want the two of you going over there" Yuffie asked.

"That's correct." Riku replied. "Two can stealthily make it passed the Imperial defense a lot easier than if five, or all of us were going."

"But what if you're discovered though" Cloud asked.

"We'll be caught a mile behind enemy territory with nowhere to turn. I doubt that we'd get out alive if we're caught. So we'll be sure to keep a low profile. Right Sora?"-

"I gotcha." Sora replied. Just then, there was the sound of drums pounding in the air, heavy and dangerous, causing the very ground to shake. The artillery barrage ended and there was the eminent sound of crying and screaming coming across the field.

"They're coming back," Cloud uttered, "A lot sooner than we had anticipated."

"Alright Riku, Sora." Leon said. "Prepare to integrate yourselves into the Imperial lines."

"We're ready." Riku replied.

"As ready as we'll ever be." Sora added.

"Good luck, you two.' Goofy uttered.

"We'll be waiting for your safe return." Mickey added.

"Come back alive!" Donald implied.

"Thanks, you guys." Sora said.

"Are you ready, Sora?" Riku asked.

"I'm ready. For Kairi!"-

"For Kairi!"-

The two ran to the mouth of the pontoon bridge and leaned against it's solid railings. Riku lay on his back and pretended to be dead. Sora did the same and they waited for the Imperial forces to pass them by. Sure enough, within minutes, the Imperials forces were passing by the two with great speed. So great was the speed to match with their numbers that the pontoon began to shake violently.

Meanwhile, Leon, Cloud, and the others, along with a thousand defenders prepared to make impact with the oncoming Imperial forces.

"Get ready, you guys!" Cloud shouted. "Brace for impact! Fight to the last man!"

"Don't let a single one of those Imperials break our defense!" Leon added.

"Don't waver!" Yuffie cried. "Let's give these Imperials a fight their never forget!"

"For Hollow Bastion! For our home!"-

There was a loud cry that echoed through the ranks. Within seconds, both sides clashed with one another. The Imperial forces spearheaded right into the mass of defenders. Within seconds, utter chaos erupted up and down the ramparts.

As the last of the Imperial troops passed Riku and Sora, the two key bearers jumped up and joined behind the rear ranks of the attacking Imperials. However, they made sure to avoid contact in the fight. The fight itself raged on and on for ten minutes, and one thousand, of the two thousand attacking Imperials were killed. The rest were forces to retreat in such disarray.

"This is an excellent opportunity." Riku uttered. "Let's go!"

"Right behind you!" Sora added. The two, took flight with the Imperial troopers.

As they watched the Imperials flee, Leon and the others engaged in a loud cheer.

"The trap is set." Yuffie said.

"It's up to Riku and Sora." Cloud uttered.

"Goody luck, you two." Leon said, quietly.


	14. Fall of the Siege: Secrets Revealed

Fall of the Siege: Secrets Revealed

Riku and Sora went running towards the enemy lines amidst the masses of Imperial troops. As they crossed, they eventually found themselves drawing deeper and deeper behind enemy lines. From the bridges end, they observed the massive structure of the grand gate.

"There it is." Riku uttered. "The teleportation gate."

"It's so big." Sora replied. "It's a bigger gate than I imagined it would be."

"What do you expect Sora, this massive structure could be seen all the way from Hollow Bastion?"-

The gate reached the sky three hundred feet up. The two approached the giant ring to see small insignias and symbols inscribed on its sides. The ring was structured of a flashing alloy. They only gazed at it for a time, looking at the shear size of the metal object.

"Hey you!" a voice suddenly shouted out. Riku and Sora looked to see an officer beckoning them.

"Us?" Sora asked.

"Yes, you two!" the officer replied. "Get over here now!"

"Yes, Sir!" They joined the officer at the base of the gate.

"You two will be in charge of operating the gate!"-

"But we don't know how."-

"Are you kidding? You've never handled a teleportation gate before! That should be a manual procedure in training!"-

"We never really used our gate skills, sir." Riku uttered. "If you would be so kind as to enlighten us, perhaps our memory will kick in."

"Idiots!" the officer bellowed. He lead them up to a small control panel at the base of the gate. On the panel, four buttons were aligned. Three of them were grouped together. A white button, a green button, and a blue button. "It's all very simple. So simple a child could pull it off. When something is incoming, this screen will create a loud beeping sound. Thus, you push the white button to take any incoming supplies and manpower. If you wish to export something from this gate, you press the green button. And to close the gate, you press the blue button. It's all very simple!"

"What about that button?" Sora asked, pointing to a red button, covered by a protective electrical shield.

"That you don't have to worry about." The officer continued. "That's the self-destruction button. We use that just in case the enemy gains control of the gates. By destroying one gate, we completely cut off the access of that pathway. However, in case there are any saboteurs about the place, we made sure to protect it with an electrical barrier. The self-destruct mode and only be activated by the commander in charge."

"I knew we should have paid better attention when we were in the militia." Riku chuckled.

"Oh, so you're militia men. Then that explains it." The officer left. "Well, carry on."

"Why didn't you ask him where the commander in charge is?" Sora asked.

"Because that would only increase suspicions." Riku replied. "These guys aren't exactly stupid you know. Therefore, we have to gain information a little bit at a time. We can't draw attention to ourselves."

"But how'll we find the commander."-

"It shouldn't be that hard, Sora. In all our past experiences, you should know by now that the supreme commanders like to show themselves off by dressing in fancy uniforms. Not browse around and see if you can pick up any further information."-

"Alright." Sora stepped off the platform, but he turned again to Riku. "But what if I get caught?"

"You better hope not! Otherwise, we're both in trouble!"-

"I'll keep that in mind." Sora turned and continued on his way. He walked about the camp, looking to see if he could spot any real officers about. As he walked through the camp, he suddenly heard men talking. He peeped into one of the tents. There, he saw two officers talking.

"I understand that we're looking for something called the Darkness chamber." One officer said.

"That's what I heard from General King." The second officer added.

"What I don't understand is why he of all people was put in charge."-

"King has a reputation for being reckless, you know.-

"He thinks that battles are still some form of romantic events. Doesn't he realize the situation? I mean, he sends in thousands of our best, young men to their deaths for the sake of trying to break the enemy lines. Superior numbers alone won't win the battle."-

"General King?" Sora thought to himself. "He's that one general that we fought back at Halloween Town."

"But you must also understand that the Empire consists mostly of Bio Infantry and mobile droids instead of enlisted men." The second officer continued." And you know how some of these top officers are. Casualty figures are just numbers on paper and nothing more than that."

"Then why doesn't he send in his Gatler tanks?" the first officer said. "Why does he insist of besieging Hollow Bastion with only volunteer infantry?"

"I guess he wants to slowly put the pressure on Hollow Bastion, using the so-called weaker elements into battle first. That way, the lower class soldiers can inflict the most damage to the enemy."-

"But at the same time, our forces suffer greatly. Ten times more than the enemy forces."-

"It's General King's command. We have no authority to question his orders."-

"I have to find General King then." Sora uttered and scurried away to find the general, who lurked about in the camp.

At the same time, Riku waited patiently for Sora to return. He stood vigilantly at the gate. It was then that the screen began to flash and beep.

"Uh oh." Riku uttered. "Something's being imported here." He looked at the control panel. "Which button was I supposed to push again?" He gazed at the buttons, confused about which one he was supposed to push. "I guess it was white." Riku pressed the white button and sure enough, a bright electrical surge erupted from within the ring. From the gate three grand platforms for the construction of the new pontoon bridges and at least three thousand men marched through. As the last of the soldiers marched through, Riku looked up at the screen to see the word complete appear. He then pushed the blue button and closed the gate. He sighed in relief. "That was close."

"Hey you!" a voice shouted. Riku turned to see the officer from before coming towards him. "Where is the other soldier!"

"He said he had to take care of something." Riku lied.

"You militia scum think this is some sort of democracy! You don't waltz away from your military duties whenever you fancy!" The officer stomped away angrily. "If I find that soldier, I'll tear his gizzard out!"

"I think we're in trouble."-

By this time, Sora was browsing around, looking for General King. Sure enough, he saw the grand tent where the general was stationed. Sora observed four guards watching over the entryway.

"I guess that's General King's tent." Sora uttered to himself.

It was at that moment that a form appeared from the tent's entry. It was none other than General King of the 3rd Gatler division. Just then, King's eyes lay upon Sora.

"You there, soldier!" King shouted. Sora looked about him to see if the general was addressing someone else. "Yes, you who's gazing about! I want you to come here!"

"Me, sir?" Sora asked.

"Did I stutter! Yes you, boy! Come here this instant!"-

Sora had no other choice, so he followed King into his tent. He presented himself before the general. General King, dressed in what looked like his campaign frock, began to unbutton himself.

"I want you to get my evening frock from out of the wardrobe. Make it the blue frock." King ordered. Sora went to the wooden wardrobe and pulled out a blue frock, edged with gold trim.

"This is evening wear?" Sora thought to himself. "This is more like something you dress in when going into battle." He turned and presented it before General King. General King had taken off his battle uniform and his white shirt, revealing a smooth, practically unscarred body of a youth. He turned to Sora and took from around his neck what looked like a red card. He handed it to Sora.

"Put this in my safety box." King uttered. Sora took the card. "That is an absolutely vital piece of hardware.

"What does it do, sir?" Sora uttered.

"Are you ignorant? That card is the key that deactivates the protective electronic shield of the self-destruction button." King held out his hand. "Now give me my frock, you imbecile!" Sora sneered behind the tinted glass visor of his helmet. He handed the blue frock to General King and walked over to the safe.

"One other thing boy!" King further uttered. "Turn around and look at me!" Sora turned to see King standing there with his bare chest revealed. "Tell me have you ever seen such a perfect body like this? I think it's the best looking chest and abdominals throughout the Empire."

"It looks great, sir." Sora uttered.

"You don't sound pleased about it!"-

"I am, sir."-

King glared at Sora. Sora felt that this man could see his face behind the tinted visor. But King only smiled and put his blue frock on.

"Alright, you may go." King said.

"Thank you, sir." Sora walked away at a quick pace and exited the tent. He gasped as soon as he exited.

"I tell you," Sora thought to himself, "General King is so vain about his appearance. Talk about really being in love with himself."

Suddenly, Sora felt a strong hand grasp at his shoulder. He looked to see the officer from before gazing at him.

"So this is where I find you, eh!" the officer shouted. "You left your post without being relieved by a superior officer! For that, I will see you flogged!"

"That won't be necessary!" King shouted from his tent. He exited out of the tent and came before Sora and the officer. "This young man was kind enough to give me a hand with my wardrobe and comment on my youthful looks." King turned to Sora. "You are relieved here! Return to your post!"

"Thank you, sir!" Sora replied and hurried off to where Riku was still standing.

Riku only stood around waiting for Sora to return. Sure enough, Sora had returned, though he had returned an hour later than expected.

"Took you long enough." Riku said.

"Sorry about that." Sora replied.

"Well, did you get the card?" Sora took out the red card from his pocket.

"I sure did." He gave the card to Riku. "Also, I received a little information to what the Imperials were looking for. They're searching for something called the Darkness chamber."

"The Darkness chamber?"-

"That's all I know."-

"Then the situation hasn't changed!"-

"What do you mean?"-

"You never bothered to find out where this chamber is located."-

"The Darkness chamber could be found in the chapel of Hollow Bastion!" a voice suddenly shouted. Riku and Sora turned to see General King standing there, armed with his sword. Behind him were thousands of Imperial troops, their swords and blasters ready for battle. They slowly surrounded the duo. "You thought you could get away with this! I commend you for actually emerging into our camp successfully, but you were a little sloppy when it came to getting what you needed. In this case, it was my emergency key for the self-destruction process of the teleportation gate. You knew you wouldn't last long so long as the gate remained open to transport manpower and weaponry to our lines. So you decided to take the initiative and attempt to destroy it. Well, you failed in your mission. And in this situation, trying to fight your way out is probably out of the question."

"Thanks for the information!" Riku said as he pulled his helmet off. "But as for fighting our way out, I think I'll take that chance!" Immediately, King's eyes grew big in fear.

"The Key bearer!"-

"He's not the only one!" Sora shouted as he took off his helmet. "If we could foil your plans with the Apocalypse Cannon in Halloween Town, then taking down a gate should be no different!"

"How in the hell did you manage to survive Caesar and Kahn!"-

"It was just luck!" Riku thrust the card into its info slot and deactivated the shield protecting it. He pressed the button. Immediately, the gate began to sound off with a loud siren. The ring itself began to flash red.

"Now if you excuse us," Sora said, "We gotta go!"

Riku and Sora dashed as fast as they could to the bridge. At the same time, the gate came crashing down, exploding into millions of shards. Those Imperials closest to the gate were killed by the shrapnel. King realized that the explosion had caught the attention of his troops that they didn't bother to stop Riku and Sora from escaping.

"Get them, you idiots!" King shouted. The Imperials began to topple on Riku and Sora. But Sora used the foot stomp he picked up from Lu Bu and blew their attackers away. He then attacked a second time with the Shadow Death Wave, causing twenty, or more Imperials to die instantly. Riku deployed Iceberg Shurikens, Cinder Canister, Hurricane Slash, and the Kuzu ryu sen. He also deployed his darkness energy ball and swift attacks upon the enemy. However, there were only two of them who could only inflict so much damage on the Imperial forces. Their supply of ether and potion was running low and the Imperial forces still continued to mass themselves around the duo.

"We're almost to the bridge!" Riku cried. But as they reached their destination, one of the Imperials aimed on of the cannons at the pontoon and destroyed it half way.

"Damn!" Sora shouted.

They eventually found themselves completely surrounded by Imperials. Eventually, they ran out of energy and could only press themselves back to back.

"Quite interesting how history repeats itself isn't it?" They saw King make his way to the front line and present himself before the two key bearers. "Came so close, and yet so far! Look at what you did!" He pointed to the smoke and cinder accumulating from where the gate once stood. "You've crippled us badly now! And because of the action you took the liberty to engage in, your lives will be eliminated from the face of the living world!" He snapped his finger with a smirk. "Kill them." The Imperials began to come closer, practically touching the outstretched blades of the tow key bearers.

"I would get away from them if I were you!" a voice suddenly shouted. The Imperials looked to see a tall man, over six feet tall, heavily armored, armed with a long halberd, and excessively giant feelers atop his head. "You've got bigger things to worry about!"

"It's Lu Bu!" Sora shouted.

"Lu Bu?" Riku asked.

"Lu Bu!" King uttered, fearfully. "What is he doing here!"

"I'll tell you what I'm doing here! I'm here to give those two some encouragement!" Lu Bu threw out a couple of Mega-elixirs and restored Riku and Sora's strength to their full capacity.

"Excellent!" Riku cried.

"Thanks Lu Bu!" Sora shouted.

"Are you ready to give them hell again, Sora!"-

"Sure am!"-

Sora deployed the Lu Bu foot stomp with all his might and eliminated a great deal of Imperial troops. Riku actually ran into the mass of Imperials that were guarding the wrecked pontoon and deployed the infamous Lu Bu musou, defeating a hundred in one shot.

"Don't stand there, you idiots!" King roared. "Kill the lot of them!"

A mass of Imperials charged against Lu Bu.

"Big mistake!" Lu Bu chuckled. Deployed his foot stomp; he blew away fifty, or more Imperials troops away. He then jumped into the air and slammed at the Imperial ranks at an angle, causing a mass explosion. Five hundred Imperials were killed by the attack.

"You idiots," King roared, "Do I have to do everything myself!

King drew his sword and attacked Sora. But Sora soon deployed another foot stomp and blew even General King away. The general was sent flying over the barracks, down the rising falls and splashing into the water below.

"Hang on!" Lu Bu shouted, grabbing Riku and Sora and tucking them under his arms. Lu Bu then flew back to Hollow Bastion. Sora looked down to see General King still bobbing about like a cork in the water.

"Better luck next time, Kingy Boy!" he chuckled.

"You morons," King shouted angrily, "I swear if I ever see you three again, I'll tear you limb from limb!" King then looked up to see his men staring down at him. "Well, don't just stand there, you blithering idiots, get me out of here!"

Lu Bu landed just on the demolished bridge and lay Riku and Sora on their feet.

"Thanks, Lu Bu." Sora said.

"Humph!" Lu Bu scoffed. "Don't think that I did this out of sheer generosity! I just don't want anything to happen to Riku!" Lu Bu looked at Riku. "Remember, we still have that sold score to settle."

"Determined to take your revenge on me aren't you!" Riku implied.

"No one else is to kill you, but me! I and I alone will take the effort to putting an end to your life!"-

"Even after I decided to spare yours?"-

"You expect gratitude from me? You would have been better off killing me, Riku!" Lu Bu glanced in the horizon. "But then again, if you hadn't, then I probably wouldn't have shaken off my fear of death. But now I fear not even death itself. The only thing I fear is having someone kill you before me!"

"So you want me all to yourself then, is that what you're saying?"-

"Destiny has chosen me to defeat you, Riku! No one else may interfere!"-

"Then, I hold you to your vow!"-

Lu Bu smirked and then flew off into the atmosphere, vanishing into the horizon. Riku and Sora turned towards Hollow Bastion. There, Leon, Yuffie, Mickey, Donald, Goofy, and Cloud went to meet them.

"They're back!" Yuffie cried, as the six ran to meet the two keyblade masters.

"We saw the whole thing!" Leon said. "You managed to bring down the gate."

"The forces of the Empire won't be so wasteful of their manpower from now on." Cloud said.

"Besides the destruction of the gate, did you discover any information regarding the link between Ansem and the Dark Empire? What are the Imperials doing here?"-

"They're looking for something called the Darkness chamber." Sora explained. "They said that this chamber us located somewhere in the Castle Chapel."

"Then what do you say we find this hidden chamber." Riku suggested.

"That's a great idea." Goofy implied.

"If we demolish that chamber, we might be able to stop the advance of the Imperial forces." Donald explained.

"Then they'll have no other choice, but to withdraw." Mickey added.

The group, along with a company of soldiers moved their way up to the chapel. As they worked their way to the chapel, they realized that there were no explosions going off. The cannonade had stopped completely.

"This is the first time in three days that it's been this quiet." Yuffie uttered.

"That's because the Empire no longer has unlimited resources." Riku said. "Now they have to conserve as much supplies and manpower as they can."

"So our little plan worked after all." Sora implied.

The group entered the chapel and gazed around. Sora recalled its mysterious look and how it had remained the same since the day he fought Maleficent.

"Alright, we're here." Cloud said. "Now where do we start looking?"

"King said that this chamber was somewhere in here." Sora explained.

"Alright, you guys!" Leon ordered. "Check every thing in this chamber! Every torch, every stone, every little thing that looks like a button, or lever! Test it and see if you get any results."

"Yes, sir!" the troops replied and they began to browse around the chapel daring to find that single key that would lead them to the chamber. However, as the hour passed, even with fifty soldiers to assist, there was no luck at finding the key to the chamber.

"Well, we're sunk!" Donald uttered. "We've scanned the entire area and found nothing."

"I don't understand it." Sora said. "I heard it from King's own mouth."

"Maybe he was just pulling your leg." Yuffie said. "Villains have a tendency to do that."

"I don't think so. I encountered King personally. He seems like the highly confident type and very vain to top it off. So he would never bluff about something if he knew that his opponents would never have a chance."-

"Maybe you're in denial." Donald uttered.

"What is that supposed to mean!"-

"Calm down you guys." Riku said.

"You know I always find it easier not to look for it." Goofy said. "And when we take our minds off of the issue, the solution presents itself to us."

"So are you saying that we not find it?" Donald asked. "What would we accomplish by not trying!"

"Well…uh. I don't know…"

"Then, we're back to square one again!"-

"Gawrsh fellas. I'm sorry." Goofy lowered his head. Donald sighed in guilt.

"It's alright." He patted his friend on the shoulder. "It's al…" But just as he was ready to finish the rest of his statement, something had caught Donald's attention. He stepped up to the wall to see something sticking out of one of the crevices between the stone.

"What is it, Donald?" Mickey asked.

"I think I might have found something." Donald replied. Plucking out a feather, he used the quill end to dig out the object. Sure enough, it was a piece of paper that had been tightly folded. On it was the traditional seal of Hollow Bastion. "Bingo, Mickey, I found a clue!"

"Let's see it."-

Donald gave it to Mickey and he unfolded it.

"You were right, Goofy." Donald uttered. "All we had to do is get our minds off the issue and the solutions eventually present themselves on their own."

"Oh," Goofy replied, "so does that make me a genius?"

"I wouldn't go that far."-

"Well, what does it say?" Sora asked. Upon the sheet were a few inscribed lines that came in verse.

_Beneath this place of mason stone,_

_Lays the key to darkness thrown._

_Where angels fly in the midday sun,_

_Demons flight in a downward run._

_They use the torch to find the way,_

_To lurk in darkness far from the day._

"By the way this poem is written," Mickey explained, "the chamber is definitely here."

"But what does it mean by 'where angels fly in the midday sun?'" Sora asked.

"Well, there used to be a grand glass window that used to be located over the doorway of the chapel long ago." Yuffie said. "It was designed with cherubs and angels."

"So that's probably what was meant by 'where angels fly.'"-

"It's not just that." Riku implied. "Yuffie, do you recall where the sun beamed in the midday sun?"

"It filled the entire chapel with light." She walked to the area where she remembered the lights presence. "The beams of bright light shined all around this area, practically blinding you. But that was before Ansem ordered it to be destroyed and had the chapel sealed with stone."

"But why would he want to do that?" Sora asked.

"Without a doubt, he wanted no one to see what he was doing in here." Leon replied.

Cloud looked up and down the wall where the light was said to be. Remembering his own experiences in the chapel, he traced back to where the old torches used to be.

"They use the torch to find the way," he quoted, "to lurk in darkness far from the day."

"Have you found anything, Cloud?"

"It has to be this thing." Cloud pointed to an old holster, which was held the old staff torch.

"It looks no different from any of the other torch holsters though." Donald uttered.

"That's where you're wrong." Cloud pointed out that unlike the other torches, this holster had no supports that bolted the holster to the wall, keeping it up in an upright position. "Why else would this torch alone have no support around it?"

"Well, there's only one way to find out." Sora said. He pulled down on the torch and its holster. Suddenly, the torch collapsed downward and a large cracking sound, like something being released, was heard. Soon, the entire chapel began to rumble. It was then from the ground that a large door began to open up from the floor beneath.

"Get out of the way!" Leon cried. "Evading the opening door, the team watched as the stone lifted from the floor to reveal a dark chamber. In it was the sophisticated technology Ansem used to unleash the Heartless. Documents and books and all the entrees he ever made regarding the Heartless were there in the chamber.

"So this is the Darkness chamber." Riku said. "I can see why he wanted no one to look in the chapel. He wanted to keep this chamber secret."

"Uh…fellas!" Goofy suddenly uttered.

"What is it, Goofy?" Donald asked. He gazed down and saw something rather strange. "Well, I'll be…"

"What're you two looking at?" Mickey asked. Sora and the others crowded around Goofy and Donald to see the unthinkable. A Heartless had been trapped inside a cage. Its little black antenna swiveled about and its big yellow eyes looking at the curious prospectors.

"What's this Heartless doing here?" Sora asked.

"I don't know." Riku said. He looked at a small label that was tide around the cage.

_Specimen 00001. The first specimen ever recorded._

"This must've been the very first Heartless that Ansem ever discovered."-

"What'll we do with it?" Leon asked.

"You must reveal the light here again." A voice suddenly uttered.

"Who just said that?" Sora asked.

"I don't know." Mickey replied.

"Fellas." Goofy implied. They looked to the cage where the little Heartless was confined.

"Did that Heartless just talk?" Mickey asked.

"Of course I spoke." The Heartless uttered.

"Oh my goodness!" Yuffie said. "The thing can talk."

"I would appreciate it if you didn't address me as a thing. I'm surprised that you wouldn't know who I am."-

"Who are you, little guy?" Sora asked.

"I am the dark essence of the former ruler of this realm." the Heartless replied. "I am the darkness that once came to fill the heart of Ansem the Wise."

"That's impossible." Riku said. "Ansem died a couple of years ago."

"Only in body, but not in spirit."-

"How did you come to be?" Cloud asked.

"When researching the Heartless, Lord Ansem began to experience separation from body and mind as one would experience when being consumed by the darkness. He began to forget the things precious and dear to him. But despite this, he continued to do his research. Until one day, it happened. Ansem's ambition nearly overcame him. He quickly halted further research of the Heartless and had me extracted out of his body. Once he had been purged of his darkness, he decided to imprison me here. But being a Heartless, I could roam about in and out whenever I pleased. The only thing was that I couldn't do that. For some reason, a part of Lord Ansem stayed with me and I became perhaps the only heartless who could think logically. I figure that this was just as good a place as any to be." The Heartless pointed at an old picture. On it was the picture of the wise old leader, the one who was an old friend of King Mickey and sacrificed his life in the realm of the Nobodies.

"To think that that poor man is dead." Sora uttered.

"My old friend," Mickey replied. "If only you realized what effect your death has had on Hollow Bastion. But you have proven that the heart is unpredictable and can make the impossible possible. You gave a heartless a part of your thinking and logic."

"I thought this cage as a prison where I could serve out my penalties and perhaps find my own reason for being." The Heartless replied. "But now that I know it's over, and Ansem will never return, I can at least diminish without fault. If you would care to open my cage."

"I don't know." Leon uttered. "How do we know we can trust you?"-

"If there is the slightest bit of doubt, then I wish you to slay me here and now."-

Sora stepped up to the cage and opened the lid. The Heartless stepped out and presented himself before the company. It inhaled and exhaled strongly.

"Sora, are you crazy!" Donald said.

"I trust him." Sora replied. "I should know how he feels. I too was once a Heartless for a temporary period of time. As a result, Roxas came to exist. But only because I held onto my feelings, I was able to maintain my heart even as a heartless."

The little Heartless jumped out of the chamber and stood where the light used to beam down in the chapel.

"Cloud." The heartless uttered.

"Yes, sir." Cloud asked.

"The time has come. Destroy the wall of stone where the grand window used to be and let in the light. I wish to bathe in the sun's warm beams. Undo the sin that am. I wish to diminish in the light where the darkness emerged years before."-

"Yes, I will." Cloud ascended to the wall above the chapel doorway.

"To think that a Heartless would be so willing to die for the sins of his master." Sora uttered.

"Now that I see him, I pity him." Riku implied. Cloud used his sword and cut through the thick stone. The masonry fell from their foundation and a grand beam of light filled the room. Ansem bathed in the bright light, accepting it openly.

"At last!" the little Heartless uttered. "At last, the warm light has consumed me! I have longed for this day for ages." The little Heartless suddenly transforming into light from the feet up. He slowly diminished little at a time. He turned to the KH group. "Thank you everyone for giving me the chance to truly repent!" He then looked at Sora. "Thank you, Sora, for understanding."

Tears began to drip from Sora's face. He could not believe that a foe that he had fought those many years ago would have so much pity in the end. The Heartless was consumed by the light completely, but this little one gladly accepted it with open arms.

Eventually, the Darkness chamber and everything in it was set aflame by the defenders of Hollow Bastion. Tapestries and banners were cleared before petroleum was poured into the chamber to prevent anything besides the insides of the chamber to catch fire. Riku, Sora, and the rest of their comrades looked on as each journal, each document, and each bit of equipment was consumed by the flames. The smoke bellowed and exited out of the open shaft of the chapel.

"Finally, it's over." Cloud said.

"Well, it's best that we be on our way to Traverse Town to restock in ether and potion." Mickey suggested.

"That's a good idea." Donald added. "We should get the Kingdom repaired for the continuation of our journey."

"Then it's settled."-

"Will you guys be alright though?" Riku asked.

"We'll be alright here." Leon replied. "We've managed to severely cripple the Empire's strength and we eliminated their objective. I don't think they'll be causing a stir anytime soon."

"Then we leave you to your efforts." Mickey said. With that, the KH team once again made their way to the top of Hollow Bastion and climbed on board their Gummi ship. The rockets roared and the Gummi ship made its way back to Traverse Town.

Not long after, when help refused to come to the aid of the Imperial forces, General King ordered that their forces withdraw from Hollow Bastion. There was no longer any need to be there. Seeing that his numbers and resources now dwindled, and he dared not ask for more resources to be burned on a such a meaningless campaign, King made the wise choice and decided to return to Vandor. The siege had ended and thousands of Imperial troops began their withdrawal back to their cruisers. When Cloud and the others emerged from the castle to gaze upon the abandoned ramparts of the Empire, they breathed a sign of relief. After three days of hell, the conflict was over in the realm of their home.


	15. Inner Confrontation

Inner Confrontation

The Gummi ship was making its way towards Traverse Town. Donald had charted the course and was piloting the gummi ship to its proper coordinates.

"How much longer before we get to Traverse Town?" Goofy asked.

"We'll arrive there in at least fifteen minutes." Donald replied. "Although we would be their sooner if that dag blasted teleportation system didn't fry up!"

"Well, no one would've been able to predict that would happen."-

"Just as long as we get to Traverse Town safely," Riku said, "I have no complaints about it." Riku then turned to Sora, who was humming the tune 'No Place like Home.' "Are you homesick, Sora?"

"You don't know how much." Sora uttered. "I miss my home and my family on Destiny Island. But at the same time, I can't forget about Kairi. She has no one to comfort her. That's why I must stay focused."

"Don't you worry about that, Sora?" Riku said. "We'll find her and we'll rescue her. Then, we can all go home."

"I can't wait."-

Suddenly, the radar picked up something large and foreboding coming towards them.

"A large object is approaching us at a very high speed!" Donald said.

"Can we evade it?" Mickey asked.

But before Donald could give a response, the gummi ship was struck and entangled by what looked like a large net. Suddenly, an electrical surge reverberated through the gummi ship, knocking out everyone on board.

"You guys." Sora uttered before he fell to the floor. His eyes could only see a blur and he eventually closed them.

Sora slowly opened his eyes again, looking about to where he was. What he saw was not the gummi ship, but rather what looked like an old wooden from a Spanish galleon, or a British Man-o-war. He staggered to his feet and looked about. I saw the tall sails and the grand masses over his head. Cannons were lined up on each side of the vessel.

"Where am I?" Sora uttered. He looked about to find no one. He then realized that there was no one about. Not even his friends. "Mickey! Donald! Goofy! Where are you!" Sora suddenly heard a moan from behind him. He turned to see Riku laying there against the front of the ship. "Riku!" Sora ran up to his friend and slapped him in the face a little. "Riku, wake up, wake up."

"What…where am I?" Riku uttered. He gazed up at Sora. "Sora?" He staggered to his feet and gazed about at this eighteenth century style warship. "Where are we?"

"I don't know." Sora replied. "I just woke up and found us here."

"Where are Mickey, Donald, and Goofy?"-

"They're nowhere to be found."-

Riku gazed up and down the old deck and realized where he was.

"This ship looks awfully familiar." Riku uttered.

"It should be!" a voice suddenly shouted out. The two turned to see a familiar face looking down upon them, a face, which both knew very well indeed.

"Captain Hook!" Sora said.

"I see that you remember me, boy." Hook replied. "And I've seen that you're no longer the scurvy little brat that I remember you for. You've grown up into a big scurvy brat!"

"What is it that you want from us?" Riku asked.

"I would say that I have done this to extract my revenge, but in reality, I'm doing it as a paid privateer, you might say."-

"What do you mean paid privateer?"-

Hook stroked the tips of his mustache. A smirk was on his face.

"Would care to make yourself known, Sir?" Hook beckoned. From the upper deck, another familiar face appeared.

"General Ameba…" Sora uttered.

"It's nice to see you two again." Ameba uttered. "I didn't think that you'd come."

"Where…where are Mickey, Donald, and Goofy!"-

"Are the lives of those three so dear to you? More important than some of your old friends? Instead of worrying about them, I would suggest that you worry more about her fate!" Ameba pulled out a hologram disk and revealed to the two key bearers the image of Kairi.

"Kairi!"-

"That's right! While you two are goofing off doing little deeds for people you don't know, this poor young girl slowly decays of neglect. She will eventually diminish from her loneliness."-

"Tell us, where is she!" Riku demanded.

"As if that's any of your business!" Ameba replied. "But I have what I want now! Two keys that will lead to my promotion to lord!"

"Promotion to lord?" Sora asked. "So this is what this is all about! That's the reason why you abducted us."

"Was this Arakis's idea?" Riku asked.

"Not that it's any of your business, but yes." Ameba chuckled. "If I turn both of you in alive, then I will be given the rank of lord. And finally, I will be recognized as I deserve to be." Ameba edged even closer to the railing of the upper deck. "By the way, if I were you, I wouldn't try anything funny. Not unless you find the lives of your other three comrades expendable!"

"You mean you…"-

"Correct, I took the liberty of maintaining a watchful eye on your other three comrades. So if you tried to use any of your skills to escape, all I have to do is press this button on the hologram disk and your friends will be killed by my troops. So stand down!"-

Riku and Sora withdrew their defense.

"That a boy." Ameba said. "You can go and see your friends now!" A trap door suddenly opened and Riku and Sora fell through. Ameba turned to Hook. "Let's get underway already! And make sure to keep those five under lock and key until I ask for them, understand Hook!"

"Of course I do, general sir!" Hook replied. "And we still have our agreement right! I help you and you give me fifty million gorginite for my efforts."

"I always keep my word." Ameba chuckled. With that, the general headed back into the hull.

"Yes, this will be a definite turn for us, Smee!" Hook chuckled.

"We could spend the rest of our days living like kings!" Mr. Smee uttered.

"Yes, and as privateers of the Empire, we need not fear any harassment from any sort of authority!" With those final words, Hook danced for glee back into his cabin with Smee following close behind.

Meanwhile, in the deepest hull, Riku, Sora, and the others were once again reunited.

"No kidding!" Goofy said. "Kairi's real close you said?"

"That's right!" Sora uttered. "And once we find her, we can go home!"

"Then, we all can live in peace!" Riku added.

"Well, then let's get out of here and continue our mission!" Mickey said.

"That sounds great, but first…" Donald uttered as the others still lay on top of him, "HOW ABOUT GETTING OFF!"

"Oops, sorry." Sora uttered. They all got up and looked about.

"Well, this is different." Goofy said. "This room's made of steel."

"That's because it was made to be escape proof." A voice uttered from behind one of the barrels.

"Who's there!" Donald asked.

"It's me." A figure appeared from behind the barrel and was a face that was familiar to Sora.

"Peter Pan?" Sora uttered.

"It's been a long time, hasn't it Sora!" Peter replied.

"What're you doing in here? Don't tell me that you've been captured again."-

"It was thanks to that no good General Ameba! With that stupid net cannon in the front of the ship, they managed to get me all tangled up!"-

"That was probably what hit the Gummi ship." Donald said.

"Well, where's Tinker bell when you need her?" Goofy asked.

"She isn't much help in this situation." Peter said. He pointed to a lantern hanging from the main beam. "She's been captured too."

"You mean you can't get out?" Riku asked.

"That's about the size of it. That door is too thick for me to knock down."-

"I guess that's why they didn't post a guard at the door." Mickey uttered. "They must think that this room is completely secure." Mickey drew out his keyblade. "However, they never really counted on adding the new techniques we learned into their equation." Mickey placed the keyblade in left hand and crouched down, bending his legs slightly.

"I see." Sora uttered. "You're going to use the Gatotsu!"

"What's a Gatotsu?" Peter asked.

"It was an attack that we picked up from the 'Rurouni Realm.'" Riku explained. "Compliments of the Hajime Saito, former leader of the third squad of the Shinsengumi. The Gatotsu is a thrusting technique that virtually nothing can stand against."

Mickey lunged forward and bashed to door with the keyblade. The steel door was knocked off its hinges and fell to the ground. The party emerged out of their prison and Peter freed Tinker Bell.

"Great." Peter said. "Now that we're out, how do you plan to escape?"

"We'll just have to wing it!" Riku said. "Sora, give me a hand with this door."

"Right." Sora replied. The two young men pushed the door back up right and placed the hinges back in their place.

"A little crude, but at least they'll think that we're still in our cell." Riku then opened the door leading to the galley. "Now to escape."

At the same time, Hook sat in his cabin scratching his chin and smoking his double cigar pipe.

"Things have turned out for the best, Smee." Hook chuckled.

"They certainly did, Cap'n." Smee replied.

"And not only will I get a large reward for turning those two young scallywags into the Empire, but I'll also be able to savor my own revenge by finally doing away with that blasted Peter Pan! What do you say we celebrate with a swig of my best rum!"-

"That sounds like a good idea, Cap'n."-

"Go down to the hull and see if you can get it!"-

"Aye, aye Cap'n." Smee opened the trap door just in front of the main entrance and worked his way down.

Smee walked through the hallway to the galley where the rum was stored. But as he did, he heard voices coming from the other room. They were the voices of General Ameba speaking to a Major, who acted as his subordinate.

"Are you sure that it was wise to promise the payment of so much money to a mere pirate?" the Major said. "The Empire wouldn't allow such a price to be paid!"

"You think I don't know that?" Ameba replied. "I will keep my word to Hook and see that he's paid well. However, I don't think he'll live long to wallow in such riches."

"What do you mean?"-

"Hook doesn't know our true intensions, but I intend to shorten his life dramatically. In only a few minutes, our cruiser will be intercepting the Jolly Roger. When that happens, I will have Riku and Sora transferred to the cruiser. Then all of our men will soon follow. Then, when we have departed from the ship, I will dispatch the mobile dolls acquired from the 'Wing Realm' and blow Hook and the rest of those imbeciles from the face of the universe. Problem solved and we return to Vandor where I shall present the two key bearers to the Imperial council. Then Lord Arakis will have no other choice, but to keep his world and promote me to lord. Then, I would have earned my rightful position within the Empire."-

"But what if someone gets suspicious, sir?" The Major implied.

"If someone somehow managed to find out about our plan, then we must make sure to quiet them. Deploy our troops throughout this ship. No one will get passed their vigilant eye."

"Oh dear." Smee said. It was at that moment that he heard footsteps nearing the door. He quickly dashed into the galley just before the door opened and Ameba and the Major stepped out of the room. Ameba then turned.

"Is there something wrong, sir?" the Major asked.

"It's nothing." With that, the two Imperials walked out of the hull.

"Whew, that was close." Smee sighed.

"Well, what do we have here!" a voice said from behind. Smee turned to see Riku and the others standing there.

"I'm so glad to see you." Smee uttered.

"What do you mean you're glad to see us?" Sora asked.

"I just overheard General Ameba talking to one of his officers. They say they plan on destroying this ship and killing everyone, spare the two key bearers."-

"I see." Riku uttered. "Sora and I seem to be the only ones valuable to the Imperials. Ameba intends to turn us in, in exchange for his promotion to lord." He looked at Mr. Smee. "OK, Smee, you will take us to Hook."

"Are you crazy?" Peter asked. "Hook would never believe in a story like that."

"We don't have much of a choice. Lead us to Hook now."-

"Right away." Smee uttered.

The party entered the cabin of Captain Hook.

"Excuse me, Cap'n sir." Smee uttered.

"Oh did you manage to get my best rum?" Hook asked. He turned to see Smee suddenly accompanied by the prisoners. "What! What are these scallywags doing here!"

"No time to talk, Hook." Riku said. "You and this ship, as well as everyone on it, will be destroyed."

"Is that supposed to be a threat?"-

"A warning, we're here to help you Hook, because we don't think anyone should fall victim to the Empire's plot."-

"You should listen to him Cap'n sir." Smee uttered. "I heard the entire conversation from Ameba. He doesn't intend to pay us the fifty million gorginite. He means to kill us before that ever happens."

"You mean that this was all just a plot of General Ameba's?" Hook asked. "Oh dear, what have I gotten myself into?"

"If you help us, we can help you." Sora uttered.

"And how do you propose we do that?"-

"This is what I think we should do." Riku explained. "Gather round, you guys." The party enclosed around Riku and he pointed out the plans of his strategy.

Meanwhile, Ameba and the Major kept a sharp lookout for the cruiser. It wouldn't be long before Ameba's plan went into affect. Within minutes, a large object began to hover not to far away from the ship.

"Sir!" the Major suddenly cried. "Here it comes! The battle cruiser!"

"Excellent." Ameba replied. He turned around to beckon Hook to the deck. "Hook, come out here for a moment if you please!"

Hook emerged from his quarters with Smee standing next to him.

"What is all the commotion about?" Hook asked. "If you would be so kind as to explain."

"It appears that one of our cruisers has intercepted our course." Ameba replied. "Tell my men to bring up Riku and Sora immediately."

"I don't know what this is about, but I'm sure you know what you're doing." Hook turned to Smee. "Smee, retrieve the prisoners if you please!"

"Yes, Sir." Smee replied and descended into the hull of the ship.

"Now if you don't mind explaining…"-

"It's quite simple, Hook." Ameba uttered. "We'll be letting the Empire take over for now."

"We're still in agreement though, right? You would pay me fifty million in exchange for the lives of the two key bearers?"-

"Of course, Hook. I always keep my word."-

Sure enough, Riku and Sora emerged, their hands tied behind them, with Smee and four Imperial troops following close behind.

"You three are dismissed." Smee uttered. "You will stay and guard these two, Soldier."

"Sir." The one soldier said. He edged Riku and Sora on while the other three diminished to mingle with their comrades.

"Well, here they are, Cap'n Hook sir. The two keyblade masters."-

"Excellent work, Smee." Hook implied. "Well, you have the prisoners. How about the money that was promised us?"

"In due time, Hook," Ameba chuckled, "You will receive the money in due time."

"You won't get away with this!" Sora uttered, angrily.

"I already have, boy. And there's nothing you can do about it."-

"This is your last warning!" Riku said. "Let us go, or you and your men will suffer the consequences."

"Ha, that's funny, Riku. You almost sound convincing. But look at the reality of the situation. Your hands are tied, you are unarmed, you don't have your friends to help you, and as far as I can see, you are surrounded by loyal Imperial troops. There is no way in hell that you'll ever be able to escape."-

"That's what you think!" Riku suddenly threw his hands in front of him and slid on the deck. He boosted himself up and kicking upwards, pummeled General Ameba off the deck.

"What in the…?" the Major uttered.

"Now!" Riku shouted.

"Catch, you two!" Hook shouted as he took out both Riku and Sora's blades from beneath his coat. Riku and Sora grabbed their blades and began cutting their way through the horde of attacking Imperials. Hook and Peter joined in the fray, fighting off the Imperial masses a little at a time.

Ameba dragged himself on board again, a look of anger in his eyes.

"Damn those keyblade masters!" he uttered. "They had this planned all along!" He then saw Hook fighting alongside Riku and Sora. "Why are you fighting on their side, Hook?"

"Just to repay you for the lie you gave to me!" Hook replied. "You never intended to pay me in the first place!

"How did you find that out?"-

"Guess you never reckoned on Smee hearing those words coming from your own mouth."-

"Well, it's too late for you now!" Ameba pointed to the cruiser. "They're coming to give us a hand now! So stand down!"

"That won't be necessary!" a voice shouted from the front of the ship. Ameba turned to see one of his Imperial soldiers take off his helmet. Once the soldier's identity was revealed, Ameba realized that the soldier was not a soldier at all, but King Mickey. "Sorry to foil your plans, Ameba, but we can't afford to kick the bucket this point in the game!" Mickey activated the electron cannon and fired an electro-magnetic net at the Imperial cruiser. Within minutes of contact, the net sapped away all power from the cruiser. The cruiser thus hovered in mid-air, not able to maneuver.

"Blast you all!" Ameba roared.

"Heh, don't get all bent out of shape about it!" Riku chuckled. Ameba angered by that further insult rushed against Riku. He pummeled the young man and the two went crashing back into the hull of the ship.

"Riku!" Sora cried.

Ameba and Riku regained their stance. Ameba drew his sword and prepared to fight against the young man.

"You!" Ameba sneered. "You took away my victory!"

"You talk to much!" Riku uttered.

"What was that!" Ameba and Riku went into a violent sword fight, battling each other to the point of death. But despite their extensive battle, neither was able to scathe the other.

"You and your friends will pay for this humiliation!" Ameba shouted.

"It's more than you deserve!" Riku implied. They continued to clash swords. "You were the ones who got yourselves into this! If you and your bosses hadn't decided to provoke us, by snatching away Kairi, then you wouldn't have had all this trouble on your hands in the first place!"

"The Destiny Islands are just part of a backward realm that wasn't even worthy of our attention! The only reason why we decided to invade a middle-of-nowhere hole like that is because we thought it would be fun to see how well you would do and how far you would go for you friends. That's the only reason."-

"You and your comrades have a sick sense of humor. You only do this for you own entertainment, by making sport of people who have no intention of playing. You screwed around with our world and our lives. And for that, you have to pay the price!" The two continued to clash with one another. "But in reality, getting us involved was a big mistake on your part. If it wasn't for you having to get involved in our world's affair, you might have been able to take over all those other realms that you failed to subdue."-

"You and your friends have been nothing, but a thorn in the side of the Empire! For that you will die an agonizing death."-

"But if you kill us, then that would mean there would be no lord promotion for you!"-

"It doesn't matter right now! If there is one thing I know, Riku, it's that my bloodlust always ranks above my own ambition! For what you have done, you and your friends will scream in agony! I will see you gasp and scream in agony! So you will suffer!"-

"Then, come and get me if you can!"-

"You impudent fool!" The two continued to clash with each other beneath the decks of the Jolly Roger.

At the same time as Riku and Ameba were engaging in their terrible confrontation, Sora and the others had managed to subdue many of the Imperial troops. They slashed up and down the ranks, killing the Imperials one at a time. Many were knocked unconscious in the scuffle and posed no real threat. While Sora, Peter Pan, Hook, Goofy, and Mickey were fighting off the Imperials, Donald managed to regain possession of the gummi ship and ignited its rockets. He hovered the gummi ship over the Jolly Roger's wooden decks.

"Hurry!" Donald cried. "Climb on board!"

"But what about me ship?" Hook asked.

"Trust me; you don't want to stay here!" Mickey implied. "You'll be at the mercy of the Imperials if you do!"

"He has a point, you old codfish!" Peter uttered.

"I'm not a codfish!"-

"Codfish, or not, just get onto the gummi ship!" Sora ordered. Peter went away, shoving Hook into the gummi's cockpit. "Goofy! Smee! Let's get going while the getting's good!"

"Right behind ya!" Goofy replied.

"Is that everyone on board!"-

"What about Riku?" Peter asked.

"Riku!" Sora gazed around and saw no sign of Riku; he stepped onto the deck again. "Riku! Riku, where are you!" Sora ran to the passage leading to the lower hull. "Riku! Riku!"

In the midst of their fight. Riku could hear his best friend calling him.

"Sorry Ameba," Riku said, "I can't play anymore!"

"You'll stay and fight me boy!" Ameba lunged at Riku for the last time, but the young man evaded the thrust and with one blow of his sword upon Ameba's saber, cut the general's blade in half.

"Now you have nothing to fight with!" Riku scurried away.

"You won't get away with this!"-

"As you said earlier," Riku quoted, "I already have." Riku smirked. "Soon I will confront Kai and Arakis and I will beat them. And then we will rescue Kairi and be on our way home!"

"Why should you even have a chance when your best friend already had his chance against both of them!"-

"What do you mean both of them!"-

"Oh, you mean Sora never told you!"-

"Tell me what!"-

On the deck, Sora continued to cry out for Riku's name.

"Riku, Riku!" he cried. "Please hurry!"

"Maybe, Riku's in trouble." Goofy said. "We should go in and find him!"

"We better hurry!" Donald shouted. "By the looks of it, those Imperials we managed to knock out won't be unconscious for long!"

"Riku!" Sora cried. "Please hurry!"

It was then that Riku finally did appear from the lower decks. He walked to the gummi ship.

"Riku!" Sora said. "I'm so glad that you're not hurt." But Riku only glanced at Sora and passed by without saying a word. Sora, confused about what just happened, turned to watch Riku pass him, as if giving him the cold shoulder. "Riku?"

"Let's get underway already!" Riku shouted, his voice having an angry tone to it.

"Is something wrong, Riku?" Mickey asked.

"It's nothing!"-

"Come on, Sora!" Peter shouted. "Let's get going!"

Sora nodded and jumped aboard the gummi. The rockets ignited and the ship made its course to Traverse Town.

Meanwhile, General Ameba emerged from the lower decks as well.

"You may have gotten away this time, but next time, you won't be so lucky!" he uttered. "Next time, the rift would have already divided you."

"Sir!" the Major shouted staggering to his feet. "Shall we go after them?"

"And risk a confrontation with the Alliance? I think not! We'll let them go for now!"

It wasn't long before the team made it back to Traverse Town. However, that short period seemed like an eternity for there was a sense of tension within the gummi's cockpit. For the duration of the trip, Riku had remained silent as if something had been bothering him. When Sora would ask if something was wrong, Riku would only look away. This concerned the entire crew, wondering what it was that made Riku so aggravated. The gummi landed safely and Riku was the first out. He didn't bother waiting for his friends. He only went on his way into the town.

"Hey, Riku, wait up!" Sora cried. But Riku continued to walk away. "Riku!"

"Something's wrong with Riku." Peter said. "He's been edgy since we escaped the Imperials."

"Oh, me poor ship!" Hook cried. "I've lost me poor ship to Davy Jones!"

"Don't worry." Mickey said. "We'll make sure that you're properly compensated."

There was a great deal of hustle and bustle in the town now. And Sora and the others were curious of what type of refugees had been recovered. At the gate, Goten and Lu Xun were there to greet the weary party.

"Well, I see that you guys made it back!" Goten shouted, as he approached the party.

"We were starting to wonder if you guys would ever make it back at all." Lu Xun added.

"By the way, what's the matter with Riku? We tried to say hello, but he didn't acknowledge us."-

"We don't know what's wrong with Riku." Mickey explained. "He's been rather up tight since we escaped the Jolly Roger."

"Jolly Roger!" Hook sobbed. The pirate captain burst into tears.

"Oops, sorry about that."-

"What's his problem?" Goten asked.

"He just lost his ship to the Imperials." Peter uttered.

"Well, come on in." Lu Xun implied. "But because of all the refugees we had to take in, we had to move our meeting place to Merlin's house."

"It's not as if the old wizard ever objected to us being there. He said he enjoys the company."-

As the party entered the premises, they set sights on the most shocking thing they ever set their eyes on. Traverse Town had been transformed into a tent city. Hundreds, if not thousands of canvas tents were squeezed so close to each other in neat little rows. The shops and inns had been converted into shelters and hospitals. Every window had a shirt, or trouser drying in the evening breeze. The street lights were lit, illuminating the camp from end to end.

"Look at this." Goofy said. "How sad."

"All these people," Donald implied, "who have been driven out of their homes, their worlds."

"You'd be surprised how many familiar faces we see." Goten said.

"How could someone be so cruel as to cause these people to lose their homes?" Mickey asked.

"That's the Empire for you. They show no mercy and give no shelter to those in need, or are in dire strength."-

The party moved their way into the second district to see even more tents taking up room in the plaza. The shops had been opened and acted as shelters as well. The hotel and the upper levels had been modified to accommodate the refugees.

"Man," Peter uttered, "I've never seen so many people here."

"You think that this is bad," Goten said, "You should see what they did to Pinocchio's house. They transformed that into a hospital."

"Really?" Sora asked. He ran to Pinocchio's home and saw a line of wounded men and women awaiting their turn to be inspected. "How tragic."

"Sora!" a voice shouted. Sora looked to see little Pinocchio, now a real boy, run up to him.

"Pinocchio? Is that really you?"-

"Yep! I'm a real boy now!"-

"And you've grown up so much too. Where's Jiminy?"

"Right here!" another voice cried out. On Pinocchio's shoulder, the little cricket with the top hat and tails jumped up. "It's nice to see you again, Sora."

"Still as open minded and cheerful as always, eh Jiminy." Sora then looked again to their home. "I'm sorry about your house though. Having it transformed into a hospital."

"Aw, it's alright!" Pinocchio chuckled. "I'm glad to know that we're helping people get better."

"Sora, is that you?" a voice utter from behind. Sora turned to see the face of Van Flyheight looking straight at him.

"Van?" Sora asked. "What are you doing here?"

"The Empire retaliated against us a second time." Van explained. "This time they came full force with destroyers and these so called mobile dolls. They had so many of them, we couldn't fight them off."

"I'm sorry. Are any of your friends here?"-

"I don't know. I was the only one to be rescued by the Alliance forces, who managed to intervene and fight off the Empire as best they could. As far as I know, I was the only one who was saved." Van's eyes were filled with tears. He wiped them from his cheeks and made a temporary smile.

"Well, maybe this guy will cheer you up." Sora said, patting Van on the shoulder. He threw out his sword and summoned forth Zeke. Zeke emerged before the company.

"Zeke!" Van cried. The silver organoid growled with delight and nuzzled Van on the cheek. "Thanks, Sora, for taking good care of him."

"You'd be surprised how brave Zeke was when we needed him."-

"Is that true, buddy?" The organoid growled and nodded. Van smiled again. "I am so proud of you!"

But their reunion was short lived as there was sudden screaming heading towards the hospital. Sora gazed to see what all the commotion was about. He suddenly saw three other familiar faces coming towards them. They were the faces of Quatre Raberba Winner, Kenshin Himura, and Athrun Zala. Athrun seemed to have been severely wounded and was being carried on the shoulders of Quatre and Kenshin. They ran into the hospital before Sora could even utter a syllable.

"What are Kenshin, Quatre, and Athrun doing here?" Sora asked.

"Who are those guys?" Van asked.

"Other friends we met in other worlds." Sora ran to the hospital to see the three arguing with the doctors.

"You don't understand!" Kenshin said. "This young man needs help right now!"

"I don't think he'll last long!' Quatre uttered. "He's lost a lot of blood!"

"I'm sorry, but we have others just as severely crippled as this one." The doctor replied. "You'll just have to wait!"

"He may not live long enough though."-

"I told you to wait over there!"-

"Doctor!" Sora shouted. "That won't be necessary. Just let me handle this!" Sora turned to Pinocchio. "Find Goofy and tell him to bring that bag of senzu beans with him."

"Alright."-

"I'll take it from here!"-

"Sora?" Kenshin uttered.

"Is that you?" added Quatre.

"Good to see you guys again." Sora said. "But don't tell me that your worlds fell too."

"We were attacked a second time by the Empire, that we were." Kenshin said.

"Same here." Quatre replied. "They came in full force. We didn't stand a chance against them."

"How did you come across Athrun Zala?" Sora asked.

"Athrun Zala? Is that this guy's name?"-

"Kira…Kira…" Athrun uttered. "Don't leave me…Kira…Don't die…"

"What?" Sora uttered to himself. "Kira? He's dead?"

"He's been rambling like this since we picked him up, that he has." Kenshin implied.

"Athrun! Athrun Zala!" Sora said. Athrun gazed up at Sora.

"Sora…?" he uttered.

"Yes, Sora."-

"Kira…He's dead…he killed him…"-

"Who killed Kira?"-

"That man with…the red eye…" Immediately, Sora's heart began to thump with fear as he remembered gazing upon that single red eye in the darkness of shadows back on Destiny Island.

"So, Athrun also had an encounter with the red eyed man." Quatre said.

"You mean you've seen this guy too?"-

"I have as well, that I did." Kenshin added. "He was in fact the one who attacked us."

"Do you know what he looks like?" Sora asked.

"I couldn't tell. He was moving beyond my own capable speed. I couldn't properly identify him."-

At that moment, Mickey, Donald, and Goofy entered the hospital.

"What's going on?" Donald asked.

"Goofy," Sora said, "I'll need a senzu bean to help Athrun."

"I gotcha!" Goofy replied and handed a bean to Sora. "Have to watch out though. We only have two of these senzu beans left."

"It'll be worth it."-

Goofy handed a senzu bean to Sora and he gave the bean to Athrun. Athrun swallowed it and within seconds, was back on his feet.

"Thanks you guys." Athrun uttered.

"Sora!" Cuchulain shouted, as he entered the hospital. "All of us are to assemble at Merlin's house right away. Sneer has some new plans for us."

"On our way." He turned to Athrun, Kenshin, Van, Pinocchio, Jiminy, and Quatre. "You guys take care of yourselves."

"Is it alright if we tag along too?" Jiminy asked.

"I'd certainly like to know what's going on." Van added.

"I think we all would like to know what it is that the Dark Empire wants." Athrun implied.

"Well, I guess it'll be alright." Sora uttered. "Why not, just follow us to Merlin's house."

The group pushed their way through the crowd, making their way to the third district. Entering through the fire doors, Sora and his companions observed tents set up in the dry areas of the region as well. Merlin's home had remained isolated from the threat of the refugees. There, Merlin, Sneer, Goten, and Lu Xun, the coming of the rest of their allies. Riku had already made it to Merlin's and was now leaning against the wall, his arms folded in front of him.

"It's about time you guys showed up!" Goten shouted as he watched Sora and his friends hop along the moving stones.

"Sorry that we're a little late." Mickey explained.

"Better late than never I suppose." Sneer said. The party assembled within Merlin's house. Sora saw Riku standing there, leaning against the wall.

"Riku, I didn't know you were here already." Sora uttered. But Riku only gave temporary glance. There was some fury and hatred in his eyes, as if he had been severely irritated. "Riku, are you alright?"

"What do you think, Sora!" Riku uttered, angrily. Before Sora could respond, Sneer began to speak aloud.

"Now, let us begin this council. Our first order of business is to discuss how the fight against the Cavendish Shinobis has been."

"Well, we managed to defeat six of them." Sora replied. "One more left to defeat."

"However, by the presence of Athrun Zala, Van Flyheight, Kenshin Himura, and Quatre Raberba Winner," Mickey explained, "it seems that our efforts were in vain."

"I understand the situation." Sneer replied. "In all points made, there was no way for us to see where or when the Empire would strike next."

"But can't Merlin see the future?" Donald asked. "Why can't we use him to predict the initial movements of the Empire?"

"Do you think that if we had that option open to us, we would have used it already?" Sneer implied. "Merlin has tried, but the outcome is somewhat hazy. If not, blank in his mind. The Empire has somehow managed to block out Merlin's abilities."

"The future is uncertain." Merlin uttered. "I do not know where the tide will turn."

"There must be something that we can do." Athrun said. "The Empire took the lives of my closest companions, including my best friend, Kira. All I want now is revenge!"

"I too must avenge the deaths of my friends as well, indeed I must." Kenshin replied. "The Empire cannot continue on its path of destruction."

"I too will fight for the deaths of my friends and the destruction of my world." Van added. "Those bastards took the lives of Fiona, Irvine, Moonbay, even Raven! I can't allow them to go unpunished!"

"If we continue hide from them, then the Empire will take over all worlds." Quatre said. "I've already lost most of my friends. Heero, Trowa, Wu Fei! They all died before my eyes, by the hands of the Empire! That's why I can't let the Empire continue."

"What you four say are just a bunch of empty motives!" a voice suddenly shouted out. From the doorway, the figure of Lord Thundro emerged. He was cloaked completely in black. "You say that you are willing to give up your own lives in order to destroy the Empire's advance. In reality however, none of you are qualified to fight the Imperials head on."

"What do you mean by that?" Van said, angrily. "Who do you think you are anyway!"

"What gives you the right to judge on what we can and can't do!" Athrun added.

"I like your fiery spirits." Thundro implied. "But even sheer determination is not enough to meet the might of the Empire. Not only must you have courage, wisdom, and determination, but you must also have the physical capacity to fight them as well. Tell me, out of the four of you, which one of you have actually fought the Imperials in a one on one fight."

"I did."-

"And whom did you fight against, Athrun Zala!"-

"A General named Marcus Durovano or something like that."-

"General Durovano you say? That man is an utter weakling compared to the top lords of the Empire. Why do you think he only obtains the rank of general?"

"What do you know about this, Mister!" Van said. "I bet you never fought against the Imperials before!"

"On the contrary, I never fought the Imperials. The reason why this is," Thundro unfurled his cloak, revealing the familiar uniform worn by the top officers of the Dark Empire, "is because I am an Imperial!"

"You're an Imperial!" Quatre uttered.

"You bastard!" Athrun shouted. He drew out his melee knife and attacked Thundro, but the former lord only dodged the attack quickly drew his blade. The blade was held to Athrun's throat.

"If I were an enemy, Athrun Zala, you would have already been dead." Thundro said. He released Athrun.

"What are you doing here anyway? If you're an Imperial, what's the use of helping us?"-

"I am a former Imperial lord. I defected from the Empire for my certain reasons. I can tell you this much, Athrun. Imperials are very hard to defeat in a one on one fight."-

"Maybe if you actually tried hard enough, you might see results." Riku harshly stated.

"For crying out loud, Riku," Sora shouted, "What is it with you! All of a sudden you act as if we're aggravating you."

"You wanna know what's aggravating me, Sora. I'll tell you what's aggravating. Being accompanied by incompetence! That's what's aggravating me!"-

"What are you talking about incompetent! No one is incompetent here!"-

"There's only one person that's incompetent here and I'm looking at him!"-

Sora sneered at Riku.

"You take that back, Riku!" Sora demanded.

"Why should I!" Riku replied, harshly. "It's true isn't it!"

"I told you to take it back! What do you mean by biting my head off like that! You know, I do not like your attitude lately!"-

"You aren't worthy to receive my sympathy! I have my reasons!"-

"You bastard!" Sora lunged into Riku and the two slammed into Merlin's pile of books.

"Stop it, you two!" Goten shouted. "That's all we need right now, is a fight!"

"What the hell, Riku!" Sora bellowed. The two friends suddenly turned into rivals, or even enemies, as each delivered a blow each other's gut, face. Riku even pushed Sora into the wall and slugged him in the gut. Sora retaliated and lunged into Riku again. Both boys were rolling about on the floor, grappling with one another. Riku got on top of Sora and began punching him in the face. Sora thrashed his legs upward and forced Riku off. The fight continued as each shoved each other out the door.

"That's enough you two!" Sneer shouted. "Cuchulain, Goten, break those two up!"

Goten and Cuchulain along with Lu Xun, Van, Kenshin, and Athrun, separated the two combatants. Both Riku and Sora emerged with minor bruises.

"You wanna piece of me, boy!" Riku taunted.

"Riku! You…" Sora implied.

"I said that's enough!" Sneer roared. Riku released himself from Goten's grip and straightened his coat.

"That's fine." Riku implied. "I don't wanna waste anymore of my energy on that weakling."

"You're crazy!" Sora protested, but Athrun, Cuchulain, and Lu Xun held on to him. "You're crazy! What did I ever do to you to make you so angry!"

"This could all have ended a long time ago and we could've saved Kairi and gone home by now and rejoin our other friends on Destiny Island! Instead, you decided to strike a bargain with Arakis!" Sora's eyes suddenly grew wide with fear and his aggressiveness died out completely. He could only look at Riku and the anger in his eyes. "Did you think I wasn't gonna find out! You had your one chance to finish this! The one chance to defeat Arakis and end our trek to save Kairi and you blew it, Sora! You had that single opportunity and you let it slip right through your fingers."

"You know about that duel? But how?"-

"General Ameba told me the whole story." Riku visualized that single event when Ameba revealed everything

_Under the decks of the Jolly Roger, Riku and Ameba had fought for such an extended period of time, but now Riku had emerged victorious._

_ "Why should you have a chance when your best friend already had his chance against both of them?" Ameba uttered._

_ "What do you mean both of them?" Riku asked._

_ "You mean Sora never told you?"-_

_ "Tell me what!"-_

_ "He and Arakis had a little one on one duel back in the 'Seed Realm.' Unfortunately, Sora did not get the better of the deal."-_

_ "So what! I'm sure that Sora put his entire heart and soul into that fight and didn't stop until he was dead tired"-_

_ "Your friend didn't even dare to continue the fight."-_

_ "You…you're wrong!" Riku shouted. "Sora would never back down from a fight when he knew the goal was crucial."_

_ "Then, you truly don't know your friend as well as you thought you did." Ameba uttered. "He didn't bother finishing that fight! He knew that trying to tackle someone as big as Lord Arakis was out of the question! To my humblest opinion, I think Sora cowering before the mighty Death Lord was a smart move!"_

_ "I don't believe you!"-_

_ "You don't believe me then! Well maybe you'll think twice when you see this!"_

_ From the hologram disk, Ameba played a segment of that fight from the "Seed Realm." What Ameba said was true as Riku as Sora not dare to fight Arakis again. There was no commentary between the two, however, only a silent image. But to Riku, what he saw broke his heart and filled him with a great sense of anger._

_ "It's true, it's true," Riku uttered to himself, "So he backed off from the fight! He backed off from the fight when he could have finished it there and then!"_

"The evidence he gave to me was as clear as day!" Riku said. "I saw you back off from fighting Arakis without a second thought! I can't believe that you would act in such a cowardly manner!"

"You don't understand!" Sora said. "I would've been killed if I had continued!"

"That is no excuse!"-

"I thought that no one else besides Arakis and me knew about it."-

"So that's the reason why you tried to keep it hidden from me! You forget though, Sora, you can't hide anything from me!"-

"I didn't want to tell you because I knew how you would react." Riku only turned his back on Sora. Sora approached his best friend, but because of the stress and the guilt he bore upon himself, Sora only collapsed just a few feet away from Riku. "I could see it in your eyes Riku. You were so full of determination and anger. If I had told you that I fought with Arakis and failed to continue fighting him to the end, you would have never forgiven me!"

"You're right about that! Not only did you back away from a fight that could've ended our strife, but you decided not to tell me until we had suffered enough! And to make matters worse, I have to hear the secret revealed from an enemy!"-

"Riku, I'm sorry." Sora uttered. He tried to stand, but couldn't. His eyes now filled with tears and he looked up at Riku. "Please forgive me."

"You've gone beyond any possible apology. I know now that you're not fit to save Kairi! You've reached your limit, Sora! I will save Kairi myself!" Riku began to walk away and didn't look back.

"Riku!' Sneer shouted. "You must remain here! This attitude of yours is illogical! Sora never meant to hurt you! You're just being impatient and pigheaded!"

"You can say what you want, but the damage is done." Riku replied. "I know now that I can only trust one person and that's me and me alone. From this point on, I strike out on my own. You guys go ahead and stop the Empire from spreading. I know that if I stick with you guys, I'll only be postponing Kairi's rescue and right now her safety is all that matters to me. I'm going straight for the kill."

"But you don't even know where she is." Goten stated. "She could be anywhere. In order for you to find Kairi, you have to defeat Arakis, but in order to defeat him, you have to find him. And in order to find him, you'll have to defeat General Kai! And even then, you don't even know where he is."

"Then, I'll just have to find them on my own! Just sitting hear won't change a thing. I'll only be procrastinating more." Riku walked to the edge of the island. "As of this day forward, Sora, you're on your own."-

"Riku." Sora sobbed.

"Our friendship is over." Riku glided to the other side, leaving Sora and the others standing astonished.

"It's alright, Sora." Goofy uttered, as he kneeled down to comfort Sora. "Riku will come back."

"I can't believe it." Sora sobbed. "Riku hates me now! We've been friends since childhood! Now because of my weakness, I've lost him forever."

"Don't blame yourself, Sora." Mickey added.

"Riku's just being stubborn that's all." Lu Xun added.

"Maybe one of us should go talk to him." Cuchulain said.

"Leave him alone." Thundro implied. "Riku needs to figure this out on his own."

"You mean you'll just let him waltz out of here?" Athrun asked.

"Riku is a stubborn young man and it'll take more than our words of advice to persuade him otherwise. If he wishes to fight Arakis, then let him do it. Mind you, he may not survive long when he does. But if action is the only way that Riku will learn, so be it."-

"How can you say that?" Sora uttered, tears still dripping from his eyes.

"I know this through experience. I was a cold-hearted mercenary once, until I actually had interaction with and befriended an enemy. Only then, did my perspective change, seeing the right, which they held dear to, and the corruption that my own comrades possessed. But when you're completely blind of one side, you always tend to stick to the side you favor."-

"Well, I suggest that we take a ten minute recess." Sneer suggested. "After this last incident, it's left everyone mentally exhausted and uneasy. I suggest ten minutes to rest and then we'll continue with out discussion."

The party diminished for a time, but Cuchulain, desperate to talk some sense into Riku, left Merlin's little island and went in search of their missing comrade.

Riku in the meantime, sat at the loading dock, where the gummi ship was being repaired. He sat on one of the crates and gazed out into the starry night.

"Riku?" a voice uttered. Riku turned to see Cuchulain standing behind him.

"Oh, it's just you, Cuchulain." Riku said.

"You mind if I have a word with you?"-

"What is it?" Cuchulain sat down next to Riku.

"Listen Riku, don't you think you were just a little too hard of Sora?"-

"No I wasn't."-

"He took your reaction really hard, you know. When you left, you should have seen the tears flow from his eyes. Sora was really hurt when you left. And to further the pain, you declared that the friendship between the two of you was over."-

"Which it is. I can't believe that I ever reunited with him those years ago. No, I can't believe I ever befriended him in the first place. In all the years I've known Sora, he's never changed, even to this day. He's still soft, naïve, and carefree as before. I can't take it anymore. He insists on continuously helping others like we have all the time in the world. But doesn't he realize that there's a close friend out there who still waits for us to rescue her." Riku punched his fist into the deck. "I just can't believe Sora's incompetence! He had the fight against Arakis in his hand! That single fight and he blew it!"

"Funny," Cuchulain uttered, "you didn't seem to react in the way you do now, when Sora fought General Kai at Halloween Town and emerged nearly half dead."-

"That was different."-

"In what way?"-

"Sora at least put all his effort into that fight. He didn't give up, even when he was threatened by death. But the fight against Arakis is inexcusable! Sora didn't even bother to continue fighting! He didn't even bother to make an effort!"-

"Perhaps he knew that he had no chance against Arakis."-

"I don't believe that! Sora's fighting skills are excellent. It's just the manner of how he uses them that get on my nerves. That one chance could've ended this trek! Kairi could've been saved by now! No, instead I find that we're still stuck here in Traverse Town!"-

"I'm sure that Sora had his reasons for…"-

"No! I don't want to hear it! And I won't listen to anything that anyone says regarding Sora. You guys might forgive, but I never will." Riku lowered his head and sighed. He turned his head away. "Now, just leave me alone, Cuchulain. Go back and give Sora your support with your words of comfort. You're just wasting your time with me."-

"I understand." Cuchulain excused himself and walked away, leaving Riku alone on the loading dock. However, Riku's solitude did not last long as another presence made its self known. Riku, however, felt this presence and thought it to be another team mate trying to cheer him up.

"I told you before to leave me alone. I have no intention to changing my mind this time about Sora."-

"Now that isn't very nice." A voice uttered. But this voice was not familiar to Riku. Riku instantly turned to see a hooded figure, cloaked in black. He was wearing the old Unknown coat and had it covered with a black cape, with silver shoulder boards. Quickly, Riku stood up to face this figure, his fingers grasping at the handle of his sheathed sword.

"Who are you?"-

"I bring a message from General Kai." The figure uttered. He handed Riku a letter, sealed with the crest of the Empire, the Cross of Conquest. Riku took the letter and opened it. He read the message given. He looked up again to see that the specter had vanished from sight, perhaps mingling in with the crowd of refugees near the gates of Traverse Town. Riku crumpled up the letter and dropped it on the ground. He then gazed at the gummi ship.

"Sir." The mechanic of the Kingdom gummi uttered. "The gummi ship has been refitted with supplies and has been repaired to be as good as new."

"Thank you." Riku uttered. As the mechanic walked away, Riku entered the gummi and closed the airtight doors behind him. "This time, I'm taking matters into my own hands." Riku ignited the engines and departed from Traverse Town on his own, not letting Sora and the others know of his action. On the pier, the crumpled letter remained, only to be picked up by yet another individual.

"So that's where they're headed, eh?" the individual uttered. "Well, maybe this'll work out better for me." The figure waved his hands over the letter and made it as good as new. "Now to make the delivery."

Meanwhile, the ten minute recess had ended and the party once again assembled.

"How is everyone feeling now?" Sneer asked.

"I think we're feeling a little bit better." Goten said.

"That's good." Then Sneer realized that amongst them, Sora was nowhere to be found. "Where's Sora at?"

"He went to the back alley of the Second district." Mickey implied. "He was still feeling a little down, so he told me that he was gonna stay away for a while, until he's recovered from his loss."

"Well, it is his right. He was in fact the one who Riku's anger descended upon. It's best that he be left alone."-

"I hope that he'll be alright." Van implied. "Will this event affect him emotionally?"

"It's up to Sora to see whether, or not he will get over this." Thundro implied. "But he can't allow himself to wallow in a state of self pity, so people would feel sorry for him."

"Thundro's right." Athrun agreed. "Sora can't allow his own guilt to weigh upon him. He has to overcome it on his own."

"A fat chance of that happening!" A voice suddenly blurted out. The group turned to see another dark figure hanging in the doorway of Merlin's house. This figure however, was not the same figure as the one who confronted Riku, but rather the one who repaired the crumpled declaration of General Kai. "A message for you."

The figure handed the letter over to the group, still hiding the identity of the face in the shadows. Thundro took the letter and opened it and read it aloud.

_Key bearers,_

_ I can no longer remain idol as you continue to eliminate our efforts to try and expand the Empire. These events cannot go unpunished. It has been burdening me since the start. Not only have you defeated all six of my best men, but you also happened to kill my closest and best friend, Kahn. My dearest companion since we were children, his death by your hands, in such a barbaric fashion, has left an imprint in my mind. And it is an imprint that will haunt me until the day I take your lives. Only then, will I be able to satisfy myself. Your lives will be taken as atonement for the crime against Kahn. From this moment on, I will not allow you to have your way. This has now become a personal issue between you and I. For the sake of Kahn, I will see you dead. Meet me at the Coliseum within the next twelve hours. Only then, will we settle the score. _

_ General Kai_

"So, General Kai is behind this is he?" Sneer said.

"It seems that he has an old score to settle with Riku and Sora." Thundro added. "Then it is best that the two reply and finish this. They will fight General Kai and defeat him."

"However, if they do defeat Kai," Goten implied, "wouldn't you be promoting for the death of your former pupil?"

"If Kai is defeated, that'll only prove that he is amongst the weak. Not only in strength, but in motivation as well." He turned to where the figure stood. "Were you assigned to give this to us?" But the figure had disappeared from sight.

"Uh…where did he go?" Goofy asked.

The party scoured the area, looking for the figure who delivered the message. But there was no sign of the messenger anywhere.

"He's gone." Mickey said.

"What do you mean he's gone?" Donald added. "How could you lose track of someone that large?"

"It makes no difference trying to go after him now." Sneer said. "Right now, you have to find Sora and Riku and tell them. It's up to those two to make the call."

"Well, I know where Riku is." Cuchulain said. "I'll go get him."

"We'll, get Sora." Mickey added. "We know he's wandering somewhere about in the back alley."

"Then get those two back here then." Sneer ordered. With that, the party separated to retrieve the two key bearers. Unfortunately, it was too late for any of them to realize that Riku had already left.

Sora sat against the wall, isolated from everyone. Hustle and bustle was coming from the balconies of the hotel. Sora had curled himself up in a ball and wept silently.

"Riku…" he uttered. "I'm so sorry for what I've done. It's all my fault. It's all my fault." Sora tucked his head on his knees. He then saw a shadow hover over him. He looked up to see a familiar face looking at him.

"S…Sojiro?" he uttered.

"Yep, it's me." Sojiro replied.

"You look different."-

"You think so? It's just the clothing they gave me." Sojiro was dressed in a black T-shirt and jeans. He wore a flowing white trench coat with black neck and wrist collars, and pocket covers. His sword was tucked under a white belt. Sojiro still had that same smile on his face, but he realized that Sora had recently been crying. "Are you OK, Sora? You look like you've been crying."

"I have." Sora uttered. "Riku's no longer with us. He left us, he left the group."

"But why?" Sojiro sat next to Sora.

"It's because of what I've done. I let Riku down again, so I'm to blame. I didn't finish a fight."-

"Is that all? I'm sure you had your reasons."-

"I did, but Riku never heard those reasons. He was so full of anger, I couldn't say anything. It's because I'm weak!"-

"It has nothing to do with you being weak, Sora." Sojiro placed hand on Sora's shoulder. "I know your type and you would never do anything that might jeopardize the lives of your friends. The reason why is because you have that same look in your eye like Mr. Himura does." Sora only lowered his head again.

"I'm just weak. If I were more like Riku and just focus on our own objective, then all this might never have occurred."-

"But being weak isn't bad. I have only learned that recently. I remember Mr. Shishio saying 'If you're strong you live, if you're weak you die.' However, the battles that took place against Kahn made me realize that even the strongest men, no matter how invincible they think they are, always have a weakness, whether they are small, or large. A man is just a man and he can never be anything more than that. That's what you, Riku, Mr. Himura, and all the others told me. But as a man, true strength doesn't lay within his own abilities, but in what he uses those abilities for. That is why I've joined the Alliance as an independent fighter, so I can save the weak and the helpless from tyrants who would try to deprive them of their happiness. How much you are loved by others is the real objective. Even if there is only one person that cares, then that in itself is a great achievement."-

"I guess you're right, Sojiro. I won't let this single incident ruin the lifelong friendship that Riku and I forged when we were kids. It's too strong to be broken that easily."-

"That's the spirit, Sora."-

Just then, Mickey, Donald, and Goofy came running towards the two.

"Sojiro, is that you?" Mickey asked.

"You look good, kid." Goofy added.

"A slick lady's man, eh?" Donald chuckled.

"Anyway," Mickey turned to Sora, "Sora, we just received word from General Kai."

"Yeah, he sent a message."-

"What did it say?" Sora asked.

"He wishes you to challenge him in a final battle." Mickey continued. "He wants to fight both you and Riku in a duel to the death."

"Where at?"-

"At the Coliseum." Goofy said.

"Why the Coliseum?"-

"We don't know," Donald said, "but we can tell you this much. He wants to end your lives for the death of Kahn."

"So he wants to take revenge for Kahn, eh?" Sora stood up and clutched his fists. "Then let it end here! I will defeat Kai and come closer to saving Kairi! Then maybe Riku will forgive me!"

"That's the Sora we know and love!" Goofy said.

"Let's get going!"-

"Yeah!"-

"Then, I wish you guys the best of luck." Sojiro uttered and began to walk away.

"Where are you going, Sojiro?"-

"I still have people who need some assistance. I'll still be around here though." He placed his hand on Sora's shoulder. "I wish you all the best of luck." Sojiro smiled at the group and returned to tend to the needy refugees in the second district. Sora turned to his fellows.

"Well, let's be on our way then."-

"Alright." Mickey said and the four went off back to Merlin's house.

However, as they returned, no one had reassembled there yet. Only Merlin and Sneer were there, both drinking a cup of tea.

"Glad to see you decided to join us again." Sneer said.

"I just came to realize that there are greater matters to attend to than just my own needs." Sora said. Sneer only smiled with those narrow Froggy lips of his and took another sip of his tea. Sora then turned to Merlin. "Merlin, I found this in the 'Ico Realm.' Can you tell me what it is?" Sora took from his pocket the thunder stone he had found after the fight against Madam Caesar.

"Well, this is rather interesting." Merlin said as Sora handed the stone to him. He examined it closer and closer and realized what it was. "Why this is a summoning stone."

"A summoning stone? Like before?"-

"Yes. Give me a moment and I'll see if I can free this poor individual." He placed it on the table and waved his wand over it. "Now how did Fairy Godmother say it? Oh yes, Bibboty Bobboty Boo!" Waving his wand, Merlin unleashed a pintsized creature from the stone. There, from the light, a short yellow, mouse like creature, with a volt shaped tail, sat upon the table.

"Pikachu." It uttered.

"Hey, he's cute." Sora uttered. "What is he?"

"Do you have a name little one?" Merlin asked.

"Pikachu." It said again.

"That is a Pikachu." Thundro uttered from the doorway. "A remnant of what is left of the 'Pokemon Realm.' He may have been the only survivor."

"What special ability does a Pikachu have?" Sora asked.

"It's able to accumulate strong electrical surges. Very powerful electrical surges that even pass the electricity of the Thundaga spell. I would suggest keep him as a trusted ally."-

"Would you like that?" Sora asked the yellow mouse.

"Pika! Pikachu!" Pikachu nodded. Merlin patted the Pikachu on the head and gave it a biscuit to eat. Pikachu gladly sat on the table top and munched away.

Suddenly, from the doorway, Cuchulain appeared, tired and out of breath. Van, Athrun, and the others were close behind him, gathering around the doorway.

"Cuchulain," Sneer said, "what's wrong."

"We have a problem." Cuchulain said. "We have a big problem!"

"Well don't leave us in suspense, young man. Tell us what's going on!"-

"It's about Riku!"-

"Riku?" Sora turned. "What about Riku!"

"He's hijacked the gummi ship!"-

"WHAT!" everyone said, shocked at what they had heard.

"What do you mean Riku hijacked the gummi ship!" Donald asked.

"As in he took it and flew away with it!" Cuchulain explained. "Apparently, He caught wind of the declaration before we did and took off on his own. That's what the mechanic, who saw him leave, said."

"Then that means Riku's planning on handling the whole situation on his own." Sneer said.

"Oh no, Riku!" Sora cried. "We have to leave now! Riku may need our help!"

"After what he said to you," Van said, "you're still gonna help him!"

"Riku and I may not always see eye to eye and we may get into fights once in a while, but I know this much! I will always be there for him no matter what! That is the vow that I made to him when we finally returned home from confronting the Heartless and the Unknowns those three years earlier. He was there before Kairi, before Namine, before Tidus and Wakka and Selphie! He's my best friend and I will be there for him always!" Sora rushed to the moving stepping stones.

"STOP!" Sneer shouted.

"I won't! I have a friend that needs me!"-

"Then tell me how you plan on fighting them without a weapon?"-

Sora looked down at his belt and realized that his sword wasn't at his side. He remembered then that he left his sword on the gummi. But now the gummi was gone and so was his sword.

"Oh no." Sora said. "I left me sword on the gummi."

"That's alright then."-

"What do you mean that's alright?"-

"Because there has been something I've been meaning to give you." Sneer called for Merlin and Merlin came out with a mahogany box. "Perhaps this will feel more to your liking." Merlin opened the box to reveal something, which Sora could not resist staring in aw at. In the box was a keyblade.

"It's a keyblade." Sora uttered.

"This is the upgraded version of the keyblade, which we have dubbed 'Aungla Noria.' Meaning 'The way of light.' Forged by the five mystic smiths of the Alliance, they have made it to be virtually invincible. To top it off, we have also asked several of your former allies to assist you once again. They come in the form of summon spells. Genie, Mushu, Dumbo, Bambi, Simba, and Tinker Bell. That is if she ever DECIDES TO SHOW UP!" Suddenly, there was a jingling sound like bells. From the distance, the group saw Tinker Bell coming along with Peter Pan.

"Sorry we're a little late." Peter said. "We had to accommodate ourselves to a tent. I can't believe Hook, Smee and I are sharing the same tent. It's like the odd couple, or something like that." Peter rubbed the back of his head. "Anyway, Tink here is ready, willing, and able to help out."

"That's excellent." Sneer said. "I'm glad that she decided to reconsider." He turned to Sora again. "Now you have a larger arsenal of summon spells."

"That's right." Van shouted. "You ready to help Sora out again, buddy?"

Zeke roared and vanished as a beam of light into the keyblade. Tinker Bell did the same thing and absorbed herself into the keyblade.

"Just one more then." Mickey said. They watched as Pikachu made his way to the scene. Merlin placed down the keyblade and Pikachu absorbed himself into the workings of the Keyblade. Merlin again picked up the box and then handed it Sora. Sora pulled out the blade. Consisting of silver and gold, it was so elaborately designed. On its handle, the symbol of the Alliance was forged.

"Use this blade to your discretion." Sneer said. "It is yours now."

"Thank you so very much." Sora uttered. "It's so beautiful." Sora diminished the keyblade into his being.

"If you could also give this to Riku when you see him," Sneer asked Merlin to bring in a second box, "I will be most grateful." Merlin opened the box to reveal a second keyblade. "This one we have dubbed 'Ginroio Noria.' The Way of Justice. I think it best that you both use these twin keyblades. They will be an absolute essential in the fight against the Empire." Merlin handed to box to Sora. Sneer then turned to Mickey, Donald, and Goofy. "Now, don't go thinking that I forgot about your three. I too have a little something for each of you too." Athrun, Quatre, and Kenshin emerged from the doorway and presented boxes before the three of them. The boxes were opened to reveal their own unique weapons.

"Gawrsh," Goofy uttered, "are these for us?"

"That is correct." The three friends picked out their new weapons from out of the boxes. "Each has greater strength than that of even your present weapons. At least ten times greater. These weapons should be a match against the Empire. Mickey, I give you 'Garion Concorte Noria,' The Way of his Lordship. This keyblade equals to both Sora's and Riku's new keyblades. For Donald, I give you 'Evernios Glukon,' the Master's Staff. Capable of accumulating devastating spells at a wide range. And for you Goofy, I bestow upon you 'Elgoron Aungla Nocht,' the Grand Defender of Peace. This shield excels in high defense and attack. Use these weapons proudly and they will carry you to victory. Now go and defeat the last of the Cavendish Shinobis."

Sora, Mickey, Donald, and Goofy bowed in respect and started their continuation.

"Wait a minute!" Donald suddenly said. "We don't even have a gummi ship!"

"That's right." Goofy added. "We have no way of getting there."

"Wait a minute." Mickey said. "What about the other gummies? The ones that are compact? We can still use those, right?'

"That would work if I hadn't foolishly left them on board the Kingdom." Donald replied.

"Oh boy, that's not good then." Mickey said.

"What'll we do now?" Sora asked.

"Sneer, do you think that you can help us?"-

"That, I can't do anything about. I just provided you with weapons, not transportation." Sneer implied.

"Hey wait a minute." Pinocchio uttered from behind the group. "I have something." He pulled out a spare gummi from his pocket. "I got this years ago and have kept it ever since. I thought there might be a case where you'd be stuck here, so I held on to this for safe keeping."

"Great work." Donald said as Pinocchio handed it to him. "Let's see if we can get this worked on, so we'll be in great shape for our trip."

"Good idea." Mickey said. The four said their good byes to their friends and went on their way to the pier.

"Good luck my friends." Sneer said. "You'll need it."

The KH group made their way to pier when Sora suddenly heard Cuchulain calling out to him.

"Hey, Sora," he cried, "wait up."

"You guy's go ahead." Sora said. "I'll catch up."

"Whatever you say." Donald implied and the three kept going, leaving Sora to meet with Cuchulain.

"What do you want, Cuchulain?"-

"I forgot to give this to you." Cuchulain pulled out a leather neck collar with a silver buckle.

"What is it?"-

"It's something that I call 'the Rage Collar.' You may need it in this upcoming fight with Kai."-

"What does it do?"-

"You put this collar around your neck and it'll allow you to summon the rage."-

"Really?"-

"Really."-

"Thanks Cuchulain." Sora began to strap the collar around his throat.

"There's just one warning I have to give you, Sora."-

"What's that?"-

"Don't depend too much on the Rage's power. If you let the rage consume you completely, there's no guarantee that you'll be the same lovable Sora as you are now. Remember to analyze your enemy first before deciding to use the rage."-

"I understand." Sora said. "Thank you." He held out his hand.

"You're entirely welcome." Cuchulain shook Sora's hand tightly. "Now get out there and kill some Imps for us."

"Right." Sora waved and ran off to join the others. Cuchulain turned and returned to helping guard Traverse Town from any Imperial attack.


End file.
